Fall, Rise, Fall
by HHH1
Summary: With the invasion of Vale well underway, Cinder Fall finds herself at the center of the chaos, all of her plans leading up to this moment. Now she finds herself at the cusp of her victory, yet mysterious forces are moving against her, each with their own agendas to pursue. Will she see her destiny fulfilled? Or will she be entangled in the web of schemes against her?
1. Chapter 1: Plans In Motion

AN: First off, I own absolutely none of these characters except for my OCs. All rights to RWBY belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum.

Secondly, this story was written up out of a sudden burst of inspiration following the release of Volume 3, Episode 9 and is strictly non-canon. That being said, I will do what I can to work elements of canon RWBY into this fic where possible.

Now then, without further ado, I present chapter 1 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

"So I ask you: When the first shots are fired… who do you think you can trust?"

…

"Alert. Incoming Grimm attack. Threat Level: Nine. Please seek shelter in a calm and orderly manner"

…

"Get to the city!"

"But-"

"NOW!"

…

"Blue Two, what's your status? Blue Two, come in! Someone answer me, dammit!"

…

"We're hit! What's going-"

…

"Bring them to their knees!"

…

* * *

Cinder Fall

Chaos. Absolute chaos. That's what all this would look like to just about anyone with a half-decent head on their shoulders. To one Cinder Fall, however, this was a plan finally coming together. A plan that had been years in the making.

Preparation. The key to any good plan. And there was always so much to prepare for. Finding the location of the rest of the power, months of dust robberies, infiltrating a school that taught teenagers to kill monsters, gathering data on all the competitors and threats, all vital to ensuring the plan's success.

There were setbacks, and there were gains. Roman's… failure with the breach was most certainly a setback, but when you've been in the profession of lies and deceit for most of your life, you tend to see good even in the bad. Roman's imprisonment certainly didn't hamper the plan, and his new home away from home aboard an Atlesian ship's brig certainly provided a well of new opportunities. _Send Neo to break Roman out, give him control of the ship, and leave him to do what he does best._ A simple modification to an already flexible plan, yet simple had its benefits.

The discovery of a certain android was most certainly a gain, and one that made her plan even easier than she could have hoped for. _Rig the matches, pit the girl that could manipulate metal against the android girl with floating swords held by razor wires, have Emerald use her semblance on the former to trick her into eviscerating the latter, deliver a well-practiced speech that would spark an invasion the likes of which had never been seen before._

Simple, simpler, yet still simpler. Honestly, it was as if some unseen god really wanted to see the world suffer.

' _Well, he'll certainly get a show.',_ Cinder thought to herself as she made her way out of the bullhead and stepped onto Beacon's soil.

The ground had been littered with bodies. Most of them were Grimm that found themselves on the business end of the weapons of Beacon's finest. Most of those bodies were already decaying. Accompanying those were the unmoving forms of several White Fang and a handful of unlucky Beacon students.

She kept up her casual stroll as she walked through Beacon's central plaza, the sounds of gunfire and distant explosions being nothing but white noise to her. Emerald and Mercury were already waiting for her.

"Took you long enough." Mercury took on a small grin as he and Emerald began to fall into step with their leader.

"I could've sworn I'd killed at least twe-"His sentence was cut short when Emerald gave him a hard whack to the side of the head.

"Cut the crap. You were lounging around on a bench while _I_ kept any strays off of us." Emerald's face took on an exasperated expression, though it became decidedly less so when she noticed Cinder looking in their direction.

"Oh come on, Em! You know that-"Mercury was cut short again as Cinder spoke up.

"Now isn't the time for your usual banter. Focus." Cinder's voice still had that sultry tone it always carried, though they both could detect the faintest hint of exasperation in her voice.

"Yes ma'am." Emerald replied dutifully.

"Alright, alright." Mercury replied with a sigh.

"Good. Now then, it's time for the last phase of our plan." Cinder couldn't wait for this part. The practiced patience she had developed over a long career was starting to wear thin. It had taken her months to find the location of the maiden after their encounter at the roadside. It had taken an even longer time to set the plan in motion. Preparation was key to any plan, but it was always the most tedious part.

In the meanwhile, her every waking moment was a struggle against the gnawing emptiness she felt from the power. She had called it a hunger, and she meant it in every sense of the word. She may have claimed she liked it to _him_ , but there was no comfort in knowing that she was giving such a painfully obvious lie, even with her experience in giving the most blatant falsehoods with utmost sincerity. Perhaps it was the nature of the man himself, what he could do to her if she ever forgot her place. Maybe it was because she was almost certain that he could see right through it.

' _Or maybe it was because that damn power would finally allow me to bring him down, and I only managed to gain a fraction of it.'_ She mused to herself. Whatever the case, there was no time for that. The plan had come to beautiful fruition, and the wait was finally over.

"Oh, how I've waited so long for this." Cinder said quietly to herself as the three of them stepped into the elevator, though Emerald and Mercury could faintly hear what she was saying. Neither of them said a word. They knew better.

"I love it when a plan comes together." Cinder said that one openly, and if Emerald and Mercury heard any of it, they weren't giving off any indications. Now they could tell she was testing them. Based off the lack of any harsh reprimands, they passed.

"G-going down." Emerald quickly stammered out as she pressed the button to take them down to the vault.

Cinder gave no reply. Her mind was already racing with thoughts. Some of the distant past, some of the far future, but, most importantly, of what was about to happen. She let her destiny slip away the moment she let _him_ take her. She saw it in her grasp when she had the maiden dead to rights, the Grimm leech sucking the life, the _power_ , the _key to her freedom_ , out of her very soul. She saw it slip away again when that man cut her off. She would never forget his face. He would die next, right after she had taken care of _him._ Now she could see it in her grasp again. There would be no man to cut her off this time. All that could stand in her way was off fighting invading Grimm or White Fang; none would follow her down here. It was a very important detail of her plan that she made sure to emphasize to all of her pawns.

 _'My destiny will be my own again.'_ Cinder thought to herself as the elevator doors closed and they began to descend.

 _'Nothing will stop me this time. Nothing at all.'_

* * *

_?_

The room was dark, save for the dim light of the monitors surrounding the front of a figure sitting on a very large, pitch black chair. His whole body was covered in shadows, the dim light only illuminating parts of his face. What little could be seen would've been characteristic of an old man, yet the lights shining over his eyes reflected a much different picture.

His eyes were as black as night, practically sucking in the few rays of light that could reach them. They were darting from screen to screen, taking in the videos they were broadcasting. They were showing camera feeds from all across Vale. The figure could see the fighting in the streets and in the air. Atlesian knights and brave huntsman and huntresses, both ones in training and fully qualified, facing off a never ending horde of Beowolves, Ursai, Boarbatusks, Death Stalkers, Goliaths, and countless other Grimm types. They were losing ground rapidly.

The figure's eyes turned to another screen, this one showing the skies above Vale. At least, they would have if the air wasn't absolutely teeming with Nevermores of varying sizes. They turned to another screen, this one showing slightly less masses of pitch-black feathers darting their way across Vale's sky. Framed in the center of the screen was an Atlesian ship, firing on two other ships. This act of betrayal caught them off guard, and the ships began to lose altitude, crashing and burning to the ground.

The eyes moved again, this time looking at a screen showing the courtyard of Beacon. There were decidedly less Grimm here than there were in Vale. Yet the fighting was just as intense, if not more so. A handful of Beacon students were squaring off against a masked man with red hair. One of them, the one with a very fiery mane of blonde hair, made to charge the man, only to be slammed against the wall in the blink of an eye, the masked man re-sheathing a sword no-one saw leaving the sheathe at all. Another one made to shoot the man, only for the bullets to be cut clean in half by the man's sword before he took aim with his sheathe-rifle and pulled the trigger.

The eyes moved again, already knowing the outcome of that battle. The screen overlooked Amity Colosseum, a group of Beacon students were firing their guns wildly into the sky at a massive flock of Nevermore. One was tearing through them with a minigun, another was firing shotgun shell after shotgun shell from his nun chucks, a third was unloading bullets from his two bladed submachine guns, and a fourth was unloading a grenade launcher into the skies above. The eyes also noticed two other men, one brandishing a blunderbuss with two axes attached to the end and the other a flamethrower. They were keeping the other Grimm on the ground off the students and civilians.

The eyes moved again, turning to a screen showing a different area of the colosseum. It was a maintenance hall, with a number of Beacon students holding off a large pack of Grimm to allow a group of civilians to flee. The eyes saw a girl flailing a scythe, cleaving three unlucky Beowolves in two. They saw a blonde man with a shield and sword blocking a strike from an Ursa that was about to hit a red-headed girl, also brandishing a sword and shield. The red-headed girl's eyes looked stunned, her body barely moving in time to block a strike from a Beowolf that got past the scythe wielding girl and the shield-bearing blonde. Her body moved too slowly for the next strike, breaking through her guard and flooring her. Just as the Beowolf went for another strike, it was cut in two by a sword, and the girl was quickly brought back to her feet by the blonde.

The eyes moved again, returning the view to one of the streets of Vale, this one looking remarkably well in hand compared to the others. At the center of the street was a tall blond woman brandishing a riding crop. Grimm were flying in all directions, powerless before this woman's quiet fury. Not far from her was a man wielding a great sword, gears present around the hilt. With a swing, he sent a wave of air that cleaved nearly an entire pack of charging Beowolves in two. Not far from him, there was another woman, this one white haired with a rather regal appearance. She was wielded two swords, yet the most remarkable thing about her was the horde of white colored Beowolves that were following her every command. These white Beowolves tore clean through the Grimm hordes, piles of severed limbs and decaying corpses left in their wake. The three looked quickly at each other before nodding and going off in separate directions.

The eyes moved again. They froze on what they saw. The screen showed a simple elevator exit. What was not so simple about it was that it had three decidedly unwelcome guests stepping out of it. The barest hint of a frown could be seen on the man's face in the dim light of the monitors. The eyes narrowed, the light getting even dimmer as the eyes darted between the three figures before fixating on the one in the red dress.

The figure began to move its arms. They were reaching for another monitor, this one showing no camera feed. Instead all it showed was a simple text communicator, not unlike the ones used for sending messages through scrolls. The figure's hands began to type. The message was very simple, as was the reply.

 _The Queen forgets her place. Remind her._

 _It will be done._

The figure then turned back to the monitor showing the elevator. They were gone. The eyes turned to another monitor, this one showing an empty hallway. The three guests were walking through the corridor with a casual, yet still attentive pace. The one in the red dress was keeping ahead of the others, a determined expression clear on her features.

In the dim light of the monitors, one could barely make out the expression on the man's face. Some would say it looked like apprehension, fear of what was coming. Others would say it looked like anger, directed squarely at the three uninvited guests.

None would have guessed that the man was smiling.

* * *

AN: If you would be so kind, please leave a review stating what you think about this fic. Thank you very much for reading this, as it is my first story on this site, and have a nice day.


	2. Chapter 2: Holding The Line

AN: Hello and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! Previously, Cinder and co. were making their way towards the vault where Amber is kept to steal the rest of the Fall Maiden's powers while a mysterious figure has taken an interest in our favorite temptress and has sent his best man to rein her in. Now, for this chapter, I'll be going a little in the reverse direction in our story timeline (not terribly long, mind you, just enough to let me establish some character viewpoints that I'd like to use in this story). Don't worry, though, because there'll be plenty of plot advancement by the time this chapter ends. So, without further ado, I present chapter 2 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

Roman Torchwick + Neopolitan

Roman Torchwick liked to think that he had a number of skills. Befitting his self-proclaimed title as a master thief, he was an expert in pick-pocketing, lock-picking, staying hidden from unwanted attention, and talking his way out of any unfavorable situations that came his way, amongst other things.

Breaking out of an airborne prison guarded by a full crew of trained soldiers all on his own while unarmed, however, was not exactly one of the skills he could boast about. Thankfully, Cinder has been kind enough to send Neo to dispose of the crew and break him out. The diminutive woman gave him his trademark bowler hat and Melodic Cudgel as he stepped out of the cell, along with a scroll displaying a message on it.

[Cinder needs you to create a distraction with this airship. Keep the other ones busy and cause as much chaos as possible down below. When she gives the signal, she wants you to take the ship to Beacon to pick her up and take us all home.]

"That's it? Did she say anything about having a little fun on the side?" Roman was grinning widely, he hadn't gotten a chance to pilot anything ever since he lost the technological marvel that was the Atlesian Paladin to Red and her team. The thought of piloting a whole _Atlesian_ _airship_ was almost too good to be true. Almost.

Neo typed out a response on the scroll, giving it to Roman.

[What she doesn't know won't hurt her. Do what you want. My lips are sealed]

She gave him one of her trademark smirks as she put her hand over the corner of her mouth, moving it over to the other corner in a zipping motion. It wouldn't have really mattered if they were actually zipped shut, both because she was already mute and because she wasn't one to rat on a friend.

"Well, if she isn't telling me to _not_ have any fun…"He grinned darkly.

"…then I'm going to have myself some _fun_."

* * *

Adam Taurus

Adam Taurus quickly realized that he hated humans after they murdered the ones he called family in cold blood before his very eyes, leaving him alive to have the nightmares haunt him for the rest of his life.

It wasn't long after that he joined the White Fang, turning his hate into purpose, a weapon to use against humanity like his sword and sheathe-rifle, Wilt and Blush. In time, he came to call the White Fang his new family, the seething hatred he had for humanity tempered by his dedication to his new brothers and sisters.

To him, the thought of even working with the humans was repulsive, yet when Cinder came to him with an offer that had a choice between accepting her help or being incinerated, he wasn't exactly in any position to argue.

She had him provide manpower for her operations, the men he kept providing her more often than not ending up captured, severely injured, or dead. Against his better judgement, he continued to throw his lot in with the woman, hoping to ensure that the sacrifices of his brothers and sisters actually meant something.

Now he found himself on a bullhead, the loud droning of the engine coming to a stop as the doors opened, revealing the landing platform of Beacon Academy. He was to provide a distraction to allow Cinder to slip in unnoticed. There was a dark smile growing on his face as the White Fang unloaded from the other bullheads, along with the… special cargo that had taken great effort to restrain in the tight confines of a bullhead without any cages.

"Bring them to their knees!" Not a moment later, they all charged into the Beacon courtyard, weapons raised.

If not for the mask he wore over his face, one could have seen the manic gleam in his eyes as he readied Wilt and Blush for battle.

* * *

Ozpin

When he first saw the remains of the girl… no… the machine that looked like a girl, Ozpin felt something he hadn't felt in a very long time: anger. His mind was clouded in an instant, though years of practiced control over his emotions limited the outward effects to his face merely taking on an uncharacteristically grim expression.

Even after the scathing speech delivered over the broadcast and the subsequent alarms being raised in the wake of a massive invasion of Grimm, his mind still lingered on the _thing_ that laid bisected on the Amity Colosseum arena floor. He knew that James had made some rather…questionable decisions in the past, but this was truly something else.

Ozpin didn't have very long to ponder on this, as Qrow and Glynda soon stepped into the room, concerned expressions apparent on their faces.

"Get to the city." Ozpin told them in an uncharacteristically terse tone.

"But-"Qrow never got a chance to protest, his words cut off by an even more uncharacteristic outburst from the normally unflappable headmaster.

"NOW!"

After a short moment, the two exchanged looks and made for the elevator.

Not a second later, Ozpin's scroll rang. It was James.

"Ozpin, the girl…I can explain!" The general never got a chance.

"You brought your army to _my_ kingdom, James." His voice took on a hard edge.

"Use it."

He ended the call, turning his gaze out to the window and taking in the sheer devastation going on around him. His anger was threatening to overtake him again, though it was quickly overshadowed when he noticed a certain duo of "students" from Haven in Beacon's courtyard.

It wasn't a moment later that he realized just what the real target was.

* * *

Roman Torchwick + Neopolitan

It had been child's play for Roman to override all the security locks on the Atlesian ship (a failing that was similarly present in the Paladin). With that done, he had full control over the ship, a fact he demonstrated quite clearly by turning it on another airship and firing on its engines. The ship began to descend, crashing into another airship, sending them both to the ground.

"Oh, it is good to be back!" Roman was grinning widely as he began to fire on another group of airships, these ones faring little better than the first two. He was having the time of his life.

Meanwhile, Neo was manning another console, this one controlling some of the secondary cannons lining the hull. Most of her efforts went towards keeping the Nevermores off the ship, though she would occasionally indulge in a few potshots at the other airships when the opportunity presented itself.

Between the two of them, the skies surrounding Blue Two were largely empty, with the smoldering wrecks of destroyed airships and the decaying remains of eviscerated Nevermores raining to the ground below.

Roman began to angle the ship to move to another patch of sky, one that had a group of five airships beating back a flock of Nevermores. These ones seemed to notice Blue Two's sudden betrayal, and began firing on the ship, rapidly shifting into a defensive line. Most of these shots went wide, and Roman easily maneuvered the ship through any shots that had a chance of connecting.

Deciding to go with a bold strategy, Roman put all available power into the thrusters of the ship, rapidly closing the distance between them and the defending airships. Neo looked a bit nervous, though even if she wasn't mute and had a way of verbally telling Roman that this was a bad idea, he would've ignored it. When the man had set his mind on something, there wasn't a thing in all of Remnant that could stop him.

The defending ships quickly repositioned, moving to encircle the rapidly approaching Blue Two, though one unlucky airship was destroyed when it neglected to avoid the massive flock of Nevermores that quickly tore through their shields and hull, the ship's explosion quickly removing it (as well as everything within a rather large radius around it) from the fight.

The remaining airships began to fire their guns, each shot aimed directly at the bridge. Most of these shots were deftly evaded by Roman, though a handful managed to hit their mark, battering Blue Two's shields to dangerously low levels.

It was at that point that Roman put his plan into action. He told Neo to make an illusion of a massive flock of Nevermores around each of the defending ships. She closed her eyes, tapping into her semblance. Not long after, the ships were firing wildly into the skies around them, defending themselves from the Nevermores that had appeared, quite literally, out of nowhere. Using this opportunity, Roman turned the ship to engage one of the defenders, the main guns of Blue Two quickly piercing the ship's shields and tearing through the hull. Not long after, the ship was a smoldering wreck drifting across the sky. Turning to engage another ship, Roman made short work of the remaining airships, none even managing to send another shot in Blue Two's general direction.

"Like shooting fish in a flying barrel." He told Neo as the wrecks of the airships slowly descended to the ground.

She rolled her eyes at him. Reaching for her scroll, she typed up a message and tossed the scroll to Roman, who caught it and read.

[Just shut up. Using my semblance like that takes a lot out of me. Now you owe me at least a refrigerator's worth of ice cream.]

Roman simply laughed at this, used to sating the diminutive woman's rather… unique cravings. He tossed her scroll back to her.

"What would I do without you, Neo?"

She didn't even bother to type up a response, simply rolling her eyes again. Despite this, she couldn't fight the beginnings of the genuine smile that was forming on her face.

'What would you do without me?' She thought to herself before returning her attention to the console, aiming Blue Two's secondary cannons at the most definitely real flock of Nevermores bearing down on their position.

 _'What would I do without you, Roman?'_

* * *

Adam Taurus

Thankfully for the White Fang, there were only a handful of students still present at the school, most having left for the colosseum or Vale beforehand. What few students there were, however, were putting up a very stubborn resistance, the hordes of Grimm that the White Fang brought with them doing little to bog them down.

Adam ordered one of his lieutenants to temporarily take command of the White Fang at Beacon. He ordered him to focus on keeping the students tied up, but not to make any overly risky attempts at actually bringing them down. He wanted to do that part himself, both to keep unnecessary losses to a minimum and because he was _dying_ for a good fight.

With that, he set off. The majority of the defending students were fighting in the open fields of Beacon's courtyard, and the few that were in any other areas could be safely ignored for the time being. Adam was tearing through the majority of these students with ease, most of them unable to keep up with his lightning quick sword draws and deadly accuracy with his rifle.

Soon, he found himself facing a group of students around the statue in the center of the courtyard. Most of them looked about as dangerous as the ones he had faced before (that was, to say, not very much). One, however, with her glowing mane of blonde hair, looked like she could be a real challenge.

Quickly moving to dispatch the other students to remove any potential distractions, he was forced to block with his sword as the blonde charged him with a gauntleted fist raised for a doubtlessly powerful punch. The force from the punch alone strained his guard, though he held firm. Taking a swing with Wilt, he forced her back while taking a few shots at the other students with Blush, eliminating them from the fight.

Not long after, the only two combatants left standing were Adam and the blonde, who looked positively _livid_ with her glowing red eyes and burning blonde hair. They were both staring each other down, sizing each other up in preparation for another clash.

The blonde was the first to move, firing a shotgun blast that Adam deflected with a quick swing of his sword. She continued to fire at him, closing the distance between them with every shot. Once she was close enough, she crashed against his guard with a series of brutal hooks and punches.

He wasn't expecting for his guard to actually be faltering against the assault. It was as if she had somehow become even more powerful during the course of their fight despite having taken a number of hits from Wilt and Blush. He himself wasn't in much better condition. She had managed to surprise him at one point, getting a devastating punch to connect with his side while he was taking aim with Blush at one of the other students.

The withering assault was beginning to lessen, and Adam made use of the opening to quickly sheathe Wilt in preparation for a lightning-quick draw when the blonde inevitably overcommitted to a strike, leaving herself vulnerable. He soon saw the opportunity he was looking for, firing Blush to launch Wilt from its sheathe just as the blonde threw the punch. Wilt met its mark dead on, landing a devastating slash on the blonde.

What Adam didn't expect, however, was that she continued her attack even as she was sliced by his sword. Just as Wilt made contact with the blonde, her gauntleted-fist made contact with his head. The mutual attack sent both Adam and the blonde flying.

Both combatants laid there on the ground for a short moment before picking themselves up. Both were breathing heavily, their auras being stretched to their absolute limits. Making use of this short break in the fighting, Adam spoke up.

"Impressive! No one has managed to push me this far, especially not a human. It's a shame that you aren't a Faunus, we could have been brother and sister in arms, fighting for our people's future. No matter, you can take comfort in knowing that you have earned my respect as a warrior, even if you are a human."

"Don't think you've won just yet. I've still got plenty of fight left in me. For what it's worth, you did give me a really good fight, so I guess that I can respect you for that."

The blonde put herself into a combat stance, Adam responding in kind. The break was over. Their battle was not.

They charged.

* * *

Ozpin

It hadn't taken long for Ozpin to reach Amber's stasis chamber, especially with the sight of a certain woman in a red dress stepping into the Beacon courtyard giving him a sudden burst in energy. Moving as quickly as he could, he moved Amber deeper into the vault, closing as many doors and activating as many security systems as he could.

If only he hadn't sent Glynda and Qrow away! Between the three of them, they could defend the vault from Amber's attacker and her lackeys with ease. Instead, he sent them off in an unbecoming fit of anger, blinded to what was really at stake in all of this. Now he was forced to flee as deep as he could into the vault, hoping to delay the approaching attackers for as long as possible until he could reach a defensible position.

His mind was racing, trying to devise a strategy to hold off the intruders, as well as a way to get help in case they proved too much. There was little success on either front.

His racing thoughts stopped as he came upon a large, mostly empty room with a high, dome shaped ceiling. At the center of the room stood a pillar, one meant to support the ceiling just as much as it was meant to hide a safe room in the ground. What really mattered to the man, however, was that this was the last room.

By now, the intruders would have surely made some progress through the vault. The only way of escape was through them, and a direct attack was practically suicide.

He could go into the safe room and pray they didn't find it, believing he went further into the vault through some unknown passage or another.

 _'No. I can't take that risk. Not with what's at stake.'_ He thought, more to steel himself than to come up with a plan of action.

He entered a code into the keypad on the pillar, the structure folding upwards as a hole in the ground it occupied opened up. He placed Amber into the stasis chamber in the safe room, closing the door and putting the pillar back where it was.

This would be where he would make his last stand. He would fight off the intruders with all he had, or die trying.

 _'In hindsight, this most definitely was not how I expected to meet my end.'_ He mused to himself as the pillar finished resetting itself into its original position, as if it had never moved in the first place.

 _'Oh well. It's a shame that I don't get to have at least one last cup before I die.'_

* * *

Cinder Fall

She had expected there to be no intruders in the vault other than herself and her cohorts. That wasn't to say she was expecting the maiden to be left completely unprotected. On the contrary, it had appeared that virtually every defense in the vault had been turned against them in a last-ditch effort to stop them.

 _'Let them try.'_ She thought to herself as she launched a wave of black glass towards a group of security drones that had been sent their way to buy some time.

"They sure don't know when to quit." Mercury said with a sigh as yet another wave of drones charged them.

"They'll quit eventually. It's only a matter of time." Cinder told him as she incinerated the drones with a pillar of fire.

They continued, coming up on yet another locked door.

"Do we do this the easy way or the hard way?" Mercury asked as he reared his leg up to kick the door in on Cinder's command.

"The hard way."

It only took a single kick from Mercury's mechanical legs to send the door flying off its hinges and into the next room.

"Sorry, Em. Looks like the easy way's too slow for what we need." Mercury told Emerald that with a hint of smugness in his voice. Her response was to sigh and give him a whack to the head.

"Just shut up. Now's not the time for that." Emerald gave him a hard stare as he held his head from the blow she gave him (not to his head, mind you, but his pride).

The pace they were going at was beginning to frustrate Cinder. Every time they thought they found the room with the maiden in it, all they'd get were a bunch of drones and more locked doors. After a point, she opted to have Mercury kick any locked doors in rather than wait for Emerald to open them. Her patience was wearing very thin.

 _'It will all be over soon.'_ She thought to herself as they entered another room. Still no maiden.

 _'He can't hide her forever.'_ She mused quietly to herself as a group of drones attacked them for the umpteenth time.

* * *

_?_

The figure had its eyes locked on a single monitor, the others were all shut off; all they could provide was a distraction. With the light in the room coming only from a single monitor, the shadows almost completely covered the figure's body. All that could be seen were his eyes, and they were staring intently at the Queen as she and her pawns worked their way through the vault.

The man with the gray hair had certainly worked quickly. Nearly all the vault's defenses and doors were activated, and the maiden had already been placed in a secure location before the Queen had even made it to the first room. That would certainly buy him some time, though even that would eventually run out.

The figure looked away from the monitor. There was nothing to see as of right now.

Soon, however, something very special was going to happen. It wouldn't be the Queen reaching the maiden. At the rate they were going, that wouldn't happen for a long while.

No, something far, _far_ more interesting was getting ready to happen. He should know, for he had sent _it_ after her. Now it was only a matter of time.

* * *

-?-

Vale, much like the other kingdoms, was a vast expanse of land dotted with villages surrounding a single, massive city. It would take years to traverse all of it on foot, even without taking the hordes of Grimm roaming the land into consideration. To a thing like the Black Presence, however, such a distance was but a mere step.

It had been sent to remind a wayward Queen of just where she stood in the master's plan. It had been sent to do what it did best: solve problems.

And by all that was holy and unholy, what a problem it was.

Massive Grimm hordes were rampaging through the streets and skies. The kingdom's defenders had seemed to undergo a betrayal from within as one of their own fired upon them without hesitation. The defenders were being overrun: inch by inch, street by street, section by section. Even when they were gaining ground in one area, they were losing it in a dozen others.

Truly, it would've been a monumental task to reverse such a disaster. However, all it saw was a job to be done. A rather large job, to be sure, but nothing more than that. The master had sent it to accomplish what many would see as impossible. The Presence was not deterred. It would _make_ the impossible possible. Failure was not an option. Never before, and certainly not now.

It had wormed itself into the electrical network in Vale, trying to find out just what the Queen had done to invoke the King's ire. What it found left it _sorely_ disappointed. Not in the Queen, but in the defenders of Vale. All it had taken was a _virus_. A virus, and a few pointed words.

Setting aside this frustration, it set to work.

* * *

In every room in the CCT tower in Vale, every screen was showing the same thing: a black queen chess piece centered on a bright red background. The lights dimmed, as if _something_ had just entered the room and began sucking the light out of it. All across the CCT Tower, screens were flickering, the red background losing its color as the queen chess piece slowly lost its shape with every flicker. Suddenly, all the lights in the tower shut off for an instant before coming back on.

Every single screen had gone pitch black.

* * *

AN: Now then, first things first. The characters referred to as ? and -?- are two separate characters, and these are the guys that the OC tag refers to. -?- will be replaced with The Presence in the next chapter while ? will retain his title. Now, with that out of the way, it looks like things are shaping up for our motley little band of villains. Roman and Neo are tearing through the skies over Vale, Adam is keeping Beacon mostly under control and is currently engaged in a fight with our favorite blonde brawler, and Cinder and company are making slow, but steady progress through the vault. On the flip side, Ozpin is readying for a final stand, and it looks like Vale's finest are losing ground rapidly to the Grimm. All of this, meanwhile, is being watched by the King in his comfy little pitch-black chair as his best man is currently fixing problems and generally getting things done. I did promise plot advancement, didn't I? Anyways, thank you very much for reading this chapter, and I would be very thankful if you could leave a review stating what you think so far. Be safe, it's a weird little world out there.


	3. Chapter 3: Fire In The Sky

AN: Hello and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! Previously, Cinder and co. were working their way to Amber while Ozpin got ready to make his last (coffee-less) stand. Meanwhile, Roman and Neo were tearing through the skies over Vale while Adam fought our favorite blonde brawler. Now we're going to move the story along, push a couple plot points down the timeline while also adding a couple new plot points of our own. I'm going to reiterate that just about all of this is stuff that I've come up with, and as such, I'm 99.99% sure that none it will be canon. Well, without further ado, I present chapter 3 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

Roman Torchwick + Neopolitan

"Rogue pilot. This is General James Ironwood of the Atlesian military. I am giving you one chance to surrender. Move to these coordinates with your shields lowered, and you will be spared. I will give you one minute. Don't think to test me."

"Oh sure, Jimmy wants to negotiate with the guy that just took out half his air fleet. Might as well just lower our shields right now and tell him how terribly sorry we are about this whole mess we've just caused him." The sarcasm was practically dripping from Roman's voice.

Neo gave him a pointed look. Even without any messages from her scroll, Roman knew what she was trying to say.

' _Now's not the time for that.'_

To be fair, being surrounded by the entire remnant of the Atlesian air fleet in Vale wasn't exactly one of the best situations to be cracking any quips. Roman had gotten careless. As they were holding position over a relatively empty patch of sky, recharging their badly drained shields, the remaining airships had regrouped around General Ironwood's personal flagship, the Mantle's Pride. Not long after, the defenders had managed to encircle Blue Two in a tightly knit formation, leaving them with little in the way of an escape plan.

Blue Two's shields had only managed to recharge to about 50 percent by that point, so hoping to brute force their way through a weak spot in the formation was out of the question, at least not without getting destroyed in the process.

Surrendering seemed like the logical choice, though Roman knew a bad deal when he heard one. The general wasn't exactly the best liar, at least not when put up next to the thugs and lowlifes that Roman dealt with on a daily basis. The coordinates they had sent led straight into a roaming flock of Nevermores.

Not even cutting their losses and getting away in the escape pods was an option. Even if they miraculously made it to the ground without the airships blowing them out of the sky, Cinder wasn't one to take failure for an answer. Roman found that out firsthand after the Breach. He had barely managed to convince her of how his "failure" could be used to her advantage, putting him in a position to hijack an airship that would most definitely be a bigger gain than just another opening for the Grimm to enter Vale through. He was fairly certain that he wouldn't be able to do that again.

Roman's mind was racing, trying to figure a way out of this, though even with his extensive experience in getting himself out of bad situations, he was coming up blank. Neo was starting to look nervous, something that didn't happen very often. Their minute was already halfway up. Roman closed his eyes, sifting through his various memories of close calls and narrow escapes, searching for _something_ that would get them out of this. Then he opened his eyes. He had an idea. It wasn't a very good one, but it was better than sitting back and waiting to get blown out of the sky.

"Neo, I know you really don't like using your semblance like this, but I'm pretty sure you'd think that getting us out of here is more important than that. Am I right?" She nodded, turning her head to listen.

"Alright, so here's what I'm thinking…"

* * *

Adam Taurus

Adam hadn't felt a rush like this since his first mission with the White Fang. They had sent him, a fresh recruit, along with about a dozen others to attack a small military base in Mistral.

To put things simply, the plan went awry the moment they had landed, and it wasn't very long before Adam found himself as the last man standing out of their small group. It didn't discourage him in the least. On the contrary, it only served to fuel his rage as he repaid the loss of his comrades in kind. During that time, he unleashed an onslaught so brutal, that he was almost thankful that none of them were alive to see him as he butchered the garrison in an unstoppable rampage. The experience had been cathartic for him, a chance to cut loose and vent all the hate that had been building up in him since the humans murdered his family.

But this, this wasn't just cathartic, this was _exhilarating_. The base's defenders had put up a futile resistance, powerless before his assault. The blonde brawler in front of him had put up a greater fight than any other opponent he had faced in his entire life, and he doubted that any other fights to come would ever match up to this one.

He said he respected her despite being a human, and he meant it with his whole being. She had made him do something he had never done before.

 _She made him take his mask off_.

He was tired of seeing this fight through two small eye slits. He wanted to experience it not as Adam Taurus, the masked leader of the White Fang, but as Adam Taurus, the Warrior Without Equal (in fairness, the title wasn't his idea; one of his lieutenants had given it to him after fighting alongside him in a raid on an Atlesian warehouse. He preferred the much simpler title of "The Warrior").

Their fight had long since left the courtyard and taken itself into the halls of Beacon. After countless clashes between blade and fists, they found themselves in what looked like a cafeteria, though most of it had been emptied due to the approaching curfew. What few tables there were had been tossed, blown away, sliced in two, broken into pieces, and generally rough-housed in every way imaginable, the forgotten food on the plates (also broken beyond any hope of repair) scattered all across the floor.

His aura was all but drained at this point, and from the looks of the blonde brawler, her own was in no better condition. This place would be where their fight would end, one way or another.

Adam was the first to move, charging at her with one hand on Wilt and the other over the trigger on Blush. The blonde charged at him in kind, her arms poised to strike the moment they met each other.

They clashed for the last time.

Adam dropped to one knee, the brutal punch she had given him piercing clean through his aura and shattering his ribs. He looked over to where she was. She had similarly fallen to her knees, the slash he had given her with a lightning quick draw of Wilt carving clean through the length of abdomen and chest. A small, but slowly expanding pool of blood was starting to form around the blonde. She collapsed not long after. Adam fell over, his back to the ground.

It was over.

Or at least, that's what Adam thought as he could feel a warm glow permeate his body. Vaguely, he could see the blonde brawler being enveloped in a similar glow. The warm feeling was the last thing he could remember before all went white.

* * *

Cinder Fall

They had come upon a door, this one far too large for Mercury to just kick in. As such, Cinder and Mercury were guarding Emerald as she worked to override the door's locks. The waves of drones that had been an incessant thorn in their sides had been curiously scarce ever since they first stepped into the room.

"Got it!"

Emerald's words brought some relief to Cinder. That had taken too long. It was time to pick up the pace.

The door opened, revealing a massive room with a very high ceiling. The room itself was almost empty, the unmoving forms of several rows of drones lined up in front of the door leading to the next room.

These drones activated the moment they stepped into the room. Ordinarily, the group's response to this would have been to groan at the thought of having to deal with _yet another_ wave of worthless drones, but ordinary quickly disappeared from sight just as the rows of drones did.

The room returned to appearing empty, though they all knew that they were being watched. With almost no warning save for a slight _whoosh_ of air, a blade swung directly at Emerald's head, missing by barely an inch as her reflexes kicked in and severed the drone's arm with the blade of her revolver.

Even with its arm cut off, the drone quickly vanished from sight, three others appearing from nowhere as they fired their rifles, the bullets just barely grazing auras as Mercury fired his greave boots, sending blasts of wind that knocked the drones to the floor, smoke billowing from their bodies as the sudden force overloaded their circuits.

Cinder began to tap into the power again, hoping to smoke the drones out with a column of fire. With a wave of her hand, a number of drones were incinerated in a massive burst of flame, yet several others used this opportunity to strike at her blind spot. She had barely enough time to form her swords and even less to block the strikes before tapping into the power again and sending her attackers flying with a gust of wind that she had never been able to send before.

She looked at her hands, surprised. The power had been oddly responsive to her will ever since she stepped into the vault. The gnawing emptiness that had consumed her every waking moment was strangely absent for the moment, as if it were nothing more than a minor ache in her stomach. She could call upon the flames with an ease she never had before. Not only that, she had been able to control the wind a moment earlier, a feat she had never been able to do even when she focused all her effort into it, the currently absent emptiness stopping her every time.

She had no further time to ponder this, however, as the rest of the drones had recovered from her sudden attack with the elements, though it appeared that the devices keeping them hidden were starting to fail, their forms flickering in and out of sight as they rapidly closed the distance for another attack.

On instinct, she waved her hand to send a wave of flames at them, yet she was surprised to find that she had also sent another gust of wind at them just ahead of the flames, knocking them to the floor before they were incinerated by the fire.

With that last attack, all the drones were on the ground, smoldering from either being burned in flames or having their circuits overloaded.

"Well then, shall we continue?" Mercury was nursing an injury to his arm that he had received when one of the drones took advantage of his gawking at Cinder's unexpected blast of wind.

Just as he said that, the door to the next room opened, and standing in the frame was a massive drone, this one having four legs, four arms with cannons attached, and two miniguns mounted to each shoulder. Cinder recognized the general design as one of the Atlesian spider droids, but she had never seen this one before, especially not with its distinctive blue and black color scheme. It clambered into the room, the door closing behind it.

"You just had to open your big mouth, didn't you?" Emerald gave a sigh before pointing her revolvers at the new combatant.

"I think I'll just shut up now. Don't want another one of those things showing up behind us." Mercury took a quick glance behind him, half-expecting yet another one to appear from the room behind them. There wasn't, but he had a feeling that the one in front of them was going to be more than enough trouble.

"Stay focused. We can't afford to waste any more time here." Cinder readied into a combat stance just as the droid aimed its four arm cannons and fired.

* * *

?

The figure sat back in his chair, resting comfortably as he took in what he was seeing. The monitors had all been turned back on, giving him a full view of everything happening in Vale.

His eyes were darting between the monitors, each showing varying levels of destruction. On some, the Grimm had completely overrun the kingdom's defenders, charging out of view of the cameras in search of more prey. On others, the defenders were holding firm, Grimm waves being torn to pieces by countless barrages of gunfire. Everywhere the eyes went, chaos reigned.

The Queen would have much to answer for. She had overstepped her position, forgotten just where she fell in his plans. She had brought chaos where he wanted order. She had forced his hand, making him send _it_ to remind her of her place.

Yet most damning of all was that she had thought to usurp him.

He knew she sought the power of the maidens. He had even provided her the location of one of them, both as a sign of good faith and as a warning that he knew what she was planning. She was undeterred, taking her pawns and moving to steal the power for herself.

She had only taken a fraction of what she intended, cut off before she could finish. She had told him that the emptiness was gnawing at her, leaving an insatiable hunger for more. She told him she liked it. He knew she was lying. He played along regardless, amused at her disobedience.

He knew that the power was more than just a tool. It was a being of its own, a servant and protector to the maiden it was linked to. It did not take kindly to being taken from its charge before they died and passed on the mantle to another. The Queen was housing a hunger that would consume her, both in body and soul. She was fortunate to have stolen only a small fraction of the power, for any more would have torn her mind asunder.

 _And yet, now she thinks to take the rest of it._

It was a truly foolish mistake on her part to think she could. She would have been dead the moment she set foot into the vault if he wasn't suppressing the power's will, leaving it the tool she thought it was.

She never did learn the value of knowing her limits. Even when he first brought her into his plans, her arrogance was readily apparent. She had always believed herself to be above others, a Queen in the midst of pawns. This problem only amplified as she grew older, more familiar with power over others, power he had given her out of a mistaken attempt at teaching her what being a Queen truly meant. He had let the problem fester, leaving it to grow until it threatened to undo all the work he had done.

He would never allow that. He had sent _it_ to bring her back. He would undo his mistake, one way or another. He let out a sigh before returning his gaze to the monitors.

The screen showed an Atlesian airship, the one that had betrayed the others. It was surrounded on all sides by more airships, 5 on both flanks, 3 to the rear, and 10 in the front. Behind the encircling formation was a much larger airship guarded by 8 others. Not a single Nevermore dared to go anywhere near them.

The rogue airship began to move, but the others weren't firing on it. It wouldn't have mattered, as he could see that it was only an illusion, the real airship being cloaked by another illusion as it moved under the formation, angling itself towards the larger airship.

His eyes turned to another screen, this one showing (presumably) Beacon's cafeteria, or at least what was left of it. All of the windows had been shattered, most of the tables had been upturned, and food was strewn all over the floor. The masked man and the blonde woman were both laying on the ground, unconscious.

He had watched their fight with great interest whenever he wasn't tracking the Queen, having caught the end of their long battle, the masked man (who appeared to have lost his mask) just barely winning over the blonde in their final clash. He saw that neither of them were in any condition to recover before they succumbed to their wounds, though he wasn't one to let potentially useful additions to his plans slip away that easily.

He had intervened, something he normally avoided when possible, but there was no way he was going to let _it_ try to save them. They had earned that much. As his light enveloped them, their auras were rejuvenated as their wounds mended themselves completely. Unfortunately, their minds had been weakened from their prolonged fight, and they both lost consciousness as they were healed by his light. He could see that both were being picked up by the masked men that had attacked the academy before he turned his eyes again.

Centered on the screen was the Queen and her pawns, engaged in combat with a massive drone. The Queen was having difficulty with this one, any attacks she and her pawns sent its way merely bounced off its armor. They were quickly forced on the defensive, the drone using its superior armor to close the distance and attempt to crush them under its massive legs. They were at a stalemate. Any attacks they sent its way would be blocked while any attacks it sent at them would be dodged. His eyes turned to another screen, this one showing the next room in the vault.

She had made greater progress than he had expected. They were only a few rooms away from the one the grey haired man had hidden the maiden in. In his haste to retreat, the man had forgotten a number of hidden defenses in the deeper parts of the vault, one of them being the drone that the Queen and her pawns were currently fighting. He had intervened again, his influence stirring the machines from their mechanical slumber. They would hold her back for quite some time. More than long enough for _it_ to finish cleaning up the situation in Vale.

His eyes turned to a screen showing the CCT tower. Every screen was pitch black. Apparently, _it_ had already entered Vale's network, purging the Queen's virus from the system and replacing it with itself. By now, it should have infected nearly every electronic object in Vale. His mind reached out, trying to find where the Presence had placed itself.

He found it in the skies above Vale. It had infected every airship in the sky, and he could tell that it was watching something with great interest. His own interest piqued, his eyes turned to the screen. It was showing the same airships he had seen from before. The fake airship was still untouched, and none of the others had noticed how the real one had already broken out of the formation and was rapidly closing in on the larger airship's rear flank.

It wasn't long after that the skies were set aflame.

* * *

Roman Torchwick + Neopolitan

"Well, in hindsight, this definitely isn't how I expected to go out." Roman said quietly to himself, careful not to break Neo's concentration as she focused on using her semblance to create an illusion of Blue Two heading to the given surrender coordinates while also hiding the real one from view. While the Atlesians were focused on the fake airship, he was steering Blue Two behind the Mantle's Pride, careful to stay just out of their sensor range.

The moment Blue Two had put itself in the perfect position for a surprise attack, he gave Neo the signal. He could see her aura flicker a bit, straining from powering up her semblance like this. Not a moment later, the fake Blue Two turned on a dime, headed on a direct collision course with the Mantle's Pride. Of course, none of the ships could see this, as Neo created another fake Blue Two that was still heading for the given coordinates while hiding the original fake from sight.

As soon as both fake airships were in position, Neo dropped the illusion, the second fake shattering while the first fake appeared out of nowhere in front of the Mantle's Pride. Almost immediately, every airship opened fire on the charging airship. However, the moment one of the shots hit it, the illusion shattered, leaving nothing but empty sky between the remaining shots and the Mantle's Pride. Just as the illusion shattered, the real Blue Two appeared behind the larger airship, firing on its engines as the unexpected friendly fire hammered away at the front. The two-pronged surprise attack caught the ship off-guard, and it was soon crippled under the assault from two fronts as its shields failed. Not long after, there was a massive explosion that sent the ship crashing to the ground.

Vaguely, Roman could notice that just before the ship exploded, the bridge had detached from the main ship, floating off into the sky as it activated its miniaturized engines. The general had most likely pulled off a last minute escape, but that was the least of Roman's concerns at the moment. They were still surrounded by eight airships, and the 23 that made up the encircling formation were already redeploying. Using the last remains of surprise from the ship crews, Roman bombarded three of them with cannon fire. Neglecting to raise their shields due to the lingering surprise, the ships were quickly destroyed under the assault. The remaining five, however, had regrouped and were now firing on Blue Two.

"Well, at least we went down swinging." Roman's voice was resigned. He knew his plan wouldn't have gotten them out of this one alive. He just didn't want to go down without taking several hundred Atlesians with him. It was a shame that he couldn't include one James Ironwood as one of those Atlesians. He looked over at Neo. She was still exhausted from having used her semblance for three separate illusions at once. She looked back at him. There was fear, _genuine fear_ , in her eyes, though she did her best to hide it. He gave her a sad look. He never told her that he knew how this was going to end. He had never wanted to drag her down with him. He always thought that she would outlive him. Now he was practically the one killing her.

 _'If only I hadn't screwed up with the train. Hell, if only I had never gotten anywhere near Cinder in the first place. Maybe then, neither of us would've been caught up in all of this._ _ **Died**_ _in all of this.'_

He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. Yet it never came.

Instead, he could hear the distant sounds of explosions. He turned his head to look, and what he saw was, to put it simply, the most incredible thing he had ever laid eyes on.

* * *

The captain of Red Three was still in shock from seeing the flagship destroyed. Even still, he and his crew complied with the orders coming from the general, who had just barely managed to escape the destruction with his life. They were to surround the rogue Blue Two and destroy it with extreme prejudice. The captain was stirred out of his daze when he saw that three other ships had just been destroyed, crushed under a withering barrage of cannon fire.

He shouted orders at his crew, having them raise their shields to maximum and warm up every gun they had. Just as he was about to give the order to fire, the lights to the bridge went out. The emergency lights kicked in, but those too quickly shut off, leaving the crew in near total darkness. Not long after, the lights came back on, though they were extremely dim, as if all the light had been sucked out of them. All the bridge's control consoles had gone pitch black.

Then the voice of the ship's onboard AI crackled over the intercom.

"Warning! Main reactor overload engaged. Overloading in 10 seconds."

"What's going on!?" The captain never received an answer, for any replies were quickly cut off when the intercom crackled again.

"Launching escape pods."

No one was in them. They had launched on their own.

"5…4…3…2…1…"

* * *

Nearly the entire air fleet had been destroyed, the only ones left were the five that had survived Roman's initial surprise assault. Not long after, one of them rammed into another one, destroying them both as the remaining three opened fire on each other. Taking this unexpected opportunity, Roman put all remaining power into the engines, setting them on a course to anywhere but here.

 _They were safe._

Roman was barely able to contain his relief. His mind was still racing, dizzy from coming up with a plan at the last minute, making sure that everything was timed perfectly, and making sure that none of the shots he fired were wasted.

As such, he could be forgiven for not noticing until it was too late that Neo had tackled him into a bone-crushing hug. There was a deceptively large amount of force behind it, both from the rather diminutive woman it was coming from and from how exhausted she had looked barely a few minutes earlier. He didn't particularly care either way. There was only one thing going through his head at that point.

 _They were both alive._

* * *

The Presence

The Presence surveyed the destruction it had just caused. It was a simple matter to bend the mechanical presences aboard the ships to its will. From there, it was just a matter of overloading the reactors and launching all escape pods to ensure that no survivors made it out. It decided to play with the last five ships, locking the course of one on a collision with another while pointing the guns of the remaining three at each other and setting them to fire.

 ** _All too easy._**

There were only two ships left in the sky, the smoldering wrecks of the others were slowly drifting down to the ground below. It had infected both of them, but it left them alone. One was carrying a potentially useful addition to the plan. His mind had been filled with secrets, some so deep, even he had forgotten them. All of these were so easily exploitable. His pride was his ultimate failing, and it would be child's play to force him into helping with the plan.

The other held two of the Queen's pawns, and it was sure that the master wanted it to bring them in alive. He would have wanted to see what use they may have had to his plans. It didn't agree with this, wanting to simply wash its hands of them (so to speak, as it didn't have any hands to speak of), but it would never dare to defy the master. Such would've been a suicidal idea, and it had no intention of meeting its end against his wrath.

 ** _Their time will come, eventually._**

It returned its focus to the streets of Vale. The Grimm were gaining ground rapidly, the defender's struggling to halt their advance. It had cleared the skies with near effortless ease, but a task like stopping the veritable tidal wave of Beowolves, Ursai, Boarbatusks, Goliaths, and other assorted Grimm would be much more difficult. It thought for a moment, pondering how it would go about solving this particular problem.

The Presence smiled, though none could see it inside Vale's electrical network. Anticipation was building up inside of it. The raw energy that it was releasing into the network was causing several screens across Vale to crack.

It knew how to stop them.

It would have to do _that_ again.

 _ **Time to go to work.**_

* * *

AN: Well, that happened. Hope you enjoyed the short glimpse of what the Presence can do. I can assure you, it's not done yet. In fact, it's only getting started. Meanwhile, we've just wrapped up the fight between Adam and Yang, and it looks like Cinder's going to be busy for awhile with the spider droid. Even I'm wondering how all this will end. Well, in any case, thanks for reading this chapter, and if you would be so kind, please leave a review stating what you thought. Thank you kindly.


	4. Chapter 4: Destiny Awaits

AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! Last time, we just wrapped up our fight with Adam and Yang, and Roman and Neo have just blown general Ironwood's fleet out of the skies with a little help from the Presence. Meanwhile, Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury are currently stuck fighting a rather annoyingly tough spider droid in the vault. All the while, Grimm are running rampant through Vale. Things are shaping up for an explosive finish, aren't they? Well, without further ado, here's chapter 4 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

Adam Taurus

Adam could vaguely feel himself being carried off, but to where, he did not know. The only thing he could feel at the moment was pain. Not physical pain, for his wounds had been healed almost completely, but a searing pain in his mind.

When he woke up, his head was splitting at the seams, screaming in protest as it felt _something_ peering inside. All he could remember from before his world went white was a warm light enveloping his body.

 _Was that what was causing it? Was something trying to eat away at his mind until there was nothing left?_

That didn't make any sense. It had to have been the light that had healed him. He would have been dead if it hadn't saved him. Why would it save him only to torture him like this?

He had no further time to ponder, as the searing pain in his mind worsened. It was all he could do keep himself from screaming, though his mind had long since let out a howl of pain. In the midst of this, he could have sworn that he heard something speaking to him.

He concentrated again, the effort straining his will to its very limits.

He could hear a voice, if only faintly.

' _ **You will serve us well.'**_

The voice was soft and hard. It was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The pain in his mind had dissipated. He could hear the voice speak again, this time much more clearly.

' _ **Sleep, child. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep…'**_

The voice droned further and further, repeating the same words over and over again. Slowly, Adam could feel his consciousness fading. The words were soothing. They reminded him of his mother. The thought stirred his fading consciousness, anger rising as the memory of her death came flooding back.

' _I can't rest yet. Not with so much to do. I need to-'_ He was cut off when the voice spoke again.

' **Calm, child. There will be time for that later. Sleep. The nightmares will not harm you.'**

It wasn't long before he was overtaken by an overwhelming desire to shut his eyes. Vaguely, he could hear what the voice was saying to him as his world slowly went black.

' _ **Rest well, child. We will have need of you soon…'**_

He fell asleep.

* * *

Yang Xiao Long

Her mind was racing, trying to gain its bearings. She could remember the masked man's sword cutting clean through her, her blood pooling as the life slowly left her. She could remember the warm glow, the light that had saved her. She couldn't remember what happened after.

When she awoke, she was being carried by someone. Who it was, or where they were taking her, she did not know. They had blindfolded her, so they must have been enemies. The most likely answer was that the White Fang was trying to capture her.

 _Trying_ was the key word, for she could feel that her strength had already returned. Normally, she would have questioned how she had made such a miraculous recovery in such a short time, but there would be time for that later. Now was the time to act.

She needed to get out of here. She needed to find her teammates. She needed to find _Ruby_. She needed to know that she was safe.

Just before she could break free of the person carrying her, she heard a voice.

' _ **Calm, child. Now is not your time.'**_

' _Not my time? What does that mean? What about Ruby? I need to find her! I need to-'_

Her mind was shouting the words before the voice spoke again.

' _ **Rest, child. She is safe. They are all safe.'**_

' _Let me see her. Please.'_ The concern and worry was clear in her mind's voice.

The voice paused for a moment, as if it was wondering what to do. Then, Yang could feel something stirring in her mind, the blackness of the blindfold giving way to a view of Amity Colosseum.

She could see her sister. She was leading a group of people into one of the safe rooms, keeping any Grimm off them with shots from Crescent Rose. No Grimm was able to get anywhere near them.

The vision faded, the blackness slowly returning to her view. She was relieved. Ruby was safe, for now.

' _ **Sleep, child. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep…'**_

The voice was soothing. It reminded Yang of her mother, who would comfort her with a lullaby after a nightmare. The thought stirred her fading consciousness. Her mother was gone. It had fallen to her to look after Ruby. How could she leave her now, when she was fighting for her life?

' _I can't go yet. Not until I can keep her safe.'_

' _ **I cannot allow that, child. Sleep. She will be safe, I promise you this.'**_

' _Why!? She's my sister! I'm the only one left to protect her!'_

' _ **You hold something great in you, as does she. I cannot allow your light to fade.'**_

 _'But what about her!? Isn't she important too? Why can't I help her!?'_

' _ **Calm, child. I will allow no harm to come to her.'**_

The voice had taken on a stern edge, like a father trying to command a disobedient child. It still hadn't lost its softness, however.

' **Sleep, child** _ **. My light will keep her safe until you are ready.'**_

' _But-'_

She wanted to argue. She wanted to wake up. She wanted to make sure that Ruby was safe.

But she couldn't.

' _ **Sleep, child. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep…'**_

The voice had lost its stern edge, warmth replacing it. The words were soothing, her consciousness fading as sleep slowly overtook her.

' _ **Rest well, child. We will have need of you soon…'**_

She fell asleep.

* * *

?

The figure had gotten up from his chair. He was looking at two monitors, one showing the masked man (sans the mask) and the other showing the blonde. Both were being carried off by the other masked men, the man being taken to a medical tent and the woman being sent to a makeshift prison.

He had reached out to both of them with his mind, lowering the power so they wouldn't be knocked unconscious like last time. He needed to know what use they would have for his plans. He needed to see what their hearts held.

He had peered into their minds, and all was laid bare before him.

In the man, he could feel great hatred, and it wasn't only for the humans.

The man couldn't even feel the hate he held for himself; it had been buried deep in his subconscious, his mind seeking to shield him from it. He peered past the barriers, searching for it. The man blamed himself for something. Whatever it was, his mind had locked it even further into his subconscious, far too deep to gaze into.

He looked again into the man's mind. He needed to find the source. His hate could be made into a great weapon, but it needed to be tempered, or it would consume him. Searching, he found his memories. The pain and rage emanating from them was overwhelming, but there was something wrong with them.

Some of the memories had been fragmented, his mind keeping the most painful parts out of his consciousness. All that was left were pieces of the truth, white-lies that his mind had told itself to keep from collapsing under the pain. Searching again, he found the missing fragments.

They were buried deep into his subconscious. These had to be the source, but they were buried so deep that digging them up now would tear his psyche in two. He wasn't ready. The guilt emanating from the fragments was overwhelming, but his mind was doing everything it could to suppress them before the man could feel the hate he was directing towards himself.

He stopped there. Some memories were best left hidden until the mind was ready. Forcing them out now would only cause more harm than good. Still, the man would have to face them someday. All that could be wished for was that he'd be ready to do so before the storm came. If not, there was no telling what could happen to him.

In the woman, he could feel a burning flame, a glowing warmth permeating her mind.

It didn't give off a searing heat, yet there was no such thing as cold in the woman's mind. Her entire being was filled with passion.

Behind it all, however, there was a strange emptiness. The warmth that he felt permeating her mind was mysteriously absent once he looked deeper. It was like she was putting on a mask, hiding how empty she felt behind an air of burning enthusiasm.

The warmth wasn't completely gone, however. But this warmth was different from before.

It wasn't coming from the flaming passion he had felt earlier. Instead, it was coming from love. When he looked deeper, he could see how the love was practically the only thing filling the emptiness in her mind.

He looked into her memories, and the most prominent ones all had a girl with silver eyes in them. There was nothing but warmth and love emanating from these memories. He could see more memories, these ones giving off an uncharacteristic sadness. It showed an older woman, though she wasn't fully aware who it was. He looked deeper into her mind, and found that the woman was her mother. Not the one that had raised her, but the one that had brought her into this world. She wanted to find her, but she didn't know who she was looking for.

He had seen both of them before. The woman had ventured beyond the kingdoms, and even with his extensive influence, he couldn't find her reasons for doing so. The girl, on the other hand, he had noticed far before he noticed her older sister. The purity that he felt emanating from her even from birth was virtually endless. It had only grown as she did, something very rare in the world of Remnant, where age brought wisdom and despair in equal measure. He already knew she would have a role to play.

That left the question of the blonde woman he had gazed into. She hid behind her mask of passion, trying to hide how she had none of the drive others had. On the other hand, she had something that few others had: the desire to protect someone, _truly protect someone_ , with every ounce of her will. Her little sister was her world, and her mind displayed that fact proudly.

He had no further time to ponder, for he could feel that both the man and the woman were stirring, awoken from his peering into their minds. He couldn't allow that. Even if his light had healed their bodies, it had taxed their minds far beyond their limits. He had been careless, forgetting what his power could do if he left it unrestrained. Even his voyages into their minds was a tricky affair, his focus needing to be unbroken lest he let his power rip their minds in two.

They were not ready yet. They had to rest, let their minds recover from being touched by something far beyond their comprehension. He focused on each of them, maintaining a careful control to ensure he didn't harm their minds any further than necessary.

His voice entered both their minds, trying to return them to their slumber. Both were defiant, insisting that they still had work to do. An admirable trait, but determination could only do so much against what was to come. He put more power into his words, trying to make sleep return to them. Slowly, they weakened, consciousness leaving them as his words washed over them. The man was the first to go, the woman following not long after.

He returned his gaze to the monitors, the masked men taking them to their respective destinations. He returned to his chair, his mind pondering just where the two would fall in his plans. He had gazed into their minds, and it was clear that both would have a role to play in the days to come.

' _But will they be ready?'_

The stray thought gave him pause.

' _Were they ready? Would they be ready? Would anyone be ready?'_

The errant thoughts had come about suddenly. For once, his mind was silent, pondering the answer.

' _They will have to be. We will all have to be.'_

* * *

Roman Torchwick + Neopolitan

Even after seeing what could only be described as a miracle, Roman was doing his best to stay on top of things like he always did. After Neo had released him from her bone-crushing embrace, he told her to rest, knowing that the overuse of her semblance had exhausted her to the point of practically falling asleep every time she closed her eyes. She fell asleep in her chair, a rest that was well-deserved, as far as Roman was concerned.

He took a look at the scanners, the only things in the skies around them being a few Nevermores seeking to pick away at the wrecks of the ships in the waters below. Few bothered to go anywhere near Blue Two, though any that got too close were quickly reminded of how deadly even a single airship was to a lone Nevermore as cannon fire tore them to shreds.

In the distance, he could see the general's ship, or rather the part that had escaped its destruction. It was floating in the air, miniaturized engines keeping it airborne as a handful of cannons kept any stray Nevermores from getting too close.

By that point, Blue Two's shields were almost fully recharged, and Roman doubted that he needed any help to take down a lone floating bridge. He put as much power as he could in the engines, not wanting to waste any time lest the general find a way to escape. It wasn't long before they were in firing range.

Just before he was ready to fire the main cannons and end this once and for all, he heard a loud beep coming from one of the consoles.

The general was hailing them. Roman walked over to the console and accepted the communication.

"Any final words, Jimmy?"

The general's face betrayed no emotion. "If you think to hear me beg, you are sadly mistaken, Roman."

"I'm surprised you still remember me. It's been what, almost three years?"

A small scowl played across the general's expression. "Two years, seven months, and four days since you went rogue. And I never forget the face of a traitor."

"Traitor? Me?" Roman's face took on a hurt expression, though both knew it was fake. "I just… reorganized my loyalties. Don't feel too bad, Jimmy. I would've followed any order you gave me, provided they didn't happen to go against what I wanted. And no, turning myself in was most definitely not what I wanted to do."

"I never expected to find a rat like you here in Vale. You always told the rest of your team how you would have loved to settle down in Mistral someday."

Roman was surprised, taking a moment to recollect his thoughts before replying.

"That's exactly why I didn't go there. Too obvious. And Vacuo doesn't exactly do wonders for my complexion, so here I am."

The general's eyes narrowed, the scowl on his face growing ever so slightly.

"Did you know that they were all on my ship when you destroyed it? That each of them had come to see you? To ask why you left them?" His face grew dark. "Well, I suppose that doesn't matter anymore, seeing as you just sent them beneath the waves."

Roman's face fell, though he didn't let the general see it.

"I never wanted them to get caught up in this. But I did what I had to do, so I guess I'll just have to live with that." He was having a hard time believing his words.

"Well, seeing as none of them are here to ask, I will ask for them. Consider it their final due."

"Shoot." Roman's reply was curt. He already knew what was coming.

"Why? Why did you leave when you had everything? Why did you become _this_?" The general's face softened a bit as he asked the question.

"Why?" Roman let out a small chuckle. "You know, even I'm not sure what the answer to that is."

"You graduated from our academy with top marks, earned a place at one of our most prestigious piloting schools, and were on the fast track to becoming one of the best pilots in all of Remnant. Why leave all that behind?"

Roman gave a bitter laugh.

"That's funny, Jimmy. I'll have you know that I'm still the best damn pilot that you'll ever see."

His face hardened. "You know that I don't like to repeat myself. Answer the question."

Roman could feel anger bubbling up inside him. It was all he could do to stop himself from blowing the general out of the sky _right now_.

"I was just tired, alright!? Tired of all the expectations, of all the pressure! Anyone that was anyone was practically breathing down my neck every second of every damn day!"

"Did you ever stop to think that they just wanted you to do your best?"

"Do my best!?" Roman gave another bitter laugh. "That was just terrible Jimmy. You really need to work on your sense of humor. All they ever wanted was what they thought was 'my best'." Roman made sure to emphasize the quotes around those last words. "You think they ever cared about what _I_ wanted?"

"And what of your team? What did they want?"

The words gave Roman pause.

"I…I don't know. Never did talk to them much after we… went our separate ways. I definitely didn't do much talking with them after I left."

"Then I highly doubt that you know that they wanted you to get away from all of that. They had everything ready to get you out of Atlas to anywhere you wanted. Even I was willing to turn a blind eye to it."

"Oh please, you would've had someone to keep an eye on me. You wouldn't let an asset like me slip that easily." He was deflecting, trying to take his thoughts away from the team he had left behind. The team that he had just killed.

"Perhaps. But keeping you in Atlas was only going to worsen the situation."

Roman's eyes fell, his mind having a difficult time facing all of this.

"Did they really want that? Were they really going to get me away from all of that?" His voice was weak, drained of its usual bravado.

"They were."

Roman was taken aback. His thoughts returned to that time almost three years ago (or two years, seven months, and four days ago, as the general put it). He had stowed away on an airship going to a destination he couldn't remember. The only thing he could remember was how _good_ it felt to escape all of it. Now he could remember the guilt, the shame. He left them all behind, taking everything he had and running, not even saying any goodbyes. Now he would never get the chance.

Regret was coursing through his thoughts, but he quickly pushed that aside. He would deal with it later.

"Well, aside from dredging up old memories and sticking your fingers in old wounds, is there anything else you have to say before you join my team?" The barest hint of anger could be heard behind his voice.

The general's face grew pensive for a moment before he spoke again. "…How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Don't play dumb. You may be the single best pilot in all of Remnant, but there was no way you could have taken down an entire air fleet on your own, and I don't ever recall you being able to create illusions like the ones you used against us."

Roman's face lit up a bit, traces of the boastful master criminal returning to his features. "Well, if I were to be completely honest, I'd tell you that this old dog just learned some new tricks, but, then again, I'm always lying through my teeth, so I'm going to tell you that I had some very special help from a very special someone."

Neo had stirred after she heard Roman shouting. She woke up not long after, concern on her face as she looked for Roman. She found him in front of one of the consoles, talking to the man she recognized as general Ironwood. She could feel anger rising in her when she looked at him, but she didn't know why. She walked over, trying to listen to what they were saying. Then she saw Roman look at her. He motioned for her to come over.

"Jimmy, meet Neo. Neo, meet Jimmy."

She looked over to him, confusion clear on her face. The words were also very clear.

 _'What are you doing?'_

She didn't get much of a response, as Roman continued on.

"And as for the special help I mentioned, Neo here has a very special semblance that I'm sure you'd love to know all about, but a lady needs to keep a few secrets, and I'm fairly certain she doesn't want you to know any of them." He turned to look at her. "Am I right, Neo?"

She didn't give a nod or a shake, the confusion still plastered over her face. Then the general spoke up.

"Hm. The reports I received from the field certainly match up. White, pink, and brown hair. Mismatched eye colors. She destroyed nearly a dozen of our outposts before we even knew about her. Most of the Atlas military believes she's a myth, a rumor spread by stress and fear. Looks like they were wrong."

Now it was Roman's turn to be confused. "Really now? She sure didn't tell me of her time in Atlas. Were you going to fill me in about that about one day, Neo?"

Neo only gave him a confused look. She didn't remember ever being in Atlas. For all she knew, she had been in Vale her whole life.

"Then I suppose she hasn't told you about the project that created her. The project that I oversaw."

Not a moment after the words left his mouth, Neo could feel her head splitting, memories flashing in her eyes. She saw a bright light. She could feel a needle piercing her skin as _something_ entered her body. She could see the flames. Then her world went white. She fell over, unconscious.

"Neo!?" Roman immediately moved to catch her. "Come on, wake up!" When she failed to stir, he turned back to the screen.

"What the hell did you just do!?" Fury was evident in Roman's voice.

The general's expression grew contemplative before he answered. "Memory flashes. It appears that she's buried the memories deep. Bringing them up must have caused an unfortunate chain reaction in her head. The research team on the project said that her mind was left in a fragile state after the modifications we made to-"

"I don't care about what you did to her! Is she going to wake up!?" Roman was practically roaring at the general as he put Neo in one of the chairs, leaving her to rest.

"I can't be sure. At first, the memory flashes were only minor, and she was up in mere seconds. Then they got worse and she would be out for hours, even days. I've never seen anything like this before, however."

Roman's face grew dark with equal amounts of anger and worry. "I swear to you, if she doesn't wake up _right now_ , I'm going to come over there and make you _wish_ I had just blown you out of-" Roman was cut off when he could hear Neo stirring, though she was thrashing about, her hands clutching her head.

He moved over to her, kneeling down and wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace. "Shh... it's alright. I'm here. It was all just a bad dream..." His words were soothing, and she held him tightly. Then he heard a voice he didn't recognize.

"Roman...?"

The voice was low, barely able to be heard.

It wasn't the general's voice, and he certainly didn't remember having any voices in his head. That left only one answer, but he wouldn't believe it. _Couldn't believe it._

She had spoken.

She had never spoken to him, not since the day he found her on the streets of Vale and gave her a new place to call home.

But it had to be her.

 _But how?_

His reverie was broken when he heard the general speak up again.

"Hm. I don't recall there being any mention of her ability to speak. Every report I received described her as completely mute. Perhaps-" He was cut off when Roman spoke in a low, venomous voice.

"I think you've done enough already. To be honest here, if I wasn't feeling a little merciful today, I would've blown all of your cannons to hell and left you for the Nevermores. Instead, I think it'd be better if I just sent you to hell myself." Roman moved to cut off the communication.

The general's expression grew resigned. "Then it looks like my time has come. For what it's worth, I'm sorry it had to be this way. Goodbye, Roman."

"Goodbye, _James_."

The communication cut off.

Roman moved to the pilot's console, taking aim with the main cannons. Just as he readied to fire, he hesitated.

 _'What if he knows more about Neo? What if I'm shooting down her last chance to figure all of this out?'_

He looked over to her. She was looking at a mirror, talking to herself. From the looks of it, she was very unused to speaking with her voice, eyes widening whenever she heard sounds escaping her mouth.

The hesitation faded, replaced by resolve.

 _'We'll work through it on our own. Together.'_

He fired the cannons, the shots piercing clean through the bridge of the Mantle's Pride, sending it crashing down into the water below.

 _'Good night James, you glorious_ _son of a bitch.'_

He could see the wreckage descending deeper and deeper into the water, the fires slowly fading as the ship sunk into the abyss.

 _'Good night.'_

He turned to Neo, motioning for her to take a seat next to him. She complied, and they were sitting next to each other. Roman was the first to open his mouth.

"Well then, Neo. We have a lot to talk about."

"Yes, we do."

* * *

James Ironwood

The general could feel the water rushing into his lungs as he plummeted further beneath the waves. Blackness was entering his vision as he slowly lost consciousness. He wondered how it had come to all of this. All he had ever wanted was to protect the world he loved so much. And he would be damned if he didn't do everything in his power to do so.

' _Perhaps it has to be this way.'_

He had done much in his life. He wasn't proud of all of it. Somewhere, deep inside him, he knew that this day was coming. He just didn't think it would be so soon. There was still so much left to do.

' _Well, if my time has come, I won't run from it. I'm ready to pay for my sins.'_

He closed his eyes, waiting for unconsciousness to take him. Wherever he was going after this, he would face it head on, like he did with everything else in his life.

His vision went black, but it wasn't from unconsciousness. He could feel _something_ entering his body, expelling the water from his lungs and letting the air into them. Then he heard a voice.

' _ **Now is not your time. Sleep. You will be spared.'**_

James didn't take kindly to things invading his mind.

' _What are you? What do you want?'_

' _ **Do you think to question me? You will learn your place, whelp. SLEEP!'**_

That last word was the all he could remember before all went black.

From the depths of the waters, a black mass reached up from the darkness. It wrapped itself around him, enveloping him before swallowing him whole.

* * *

The Presence

It had saved him from a watery grave. Now it was resisting the urge to send him to a shadowy one.

 _ **Insolent whelp.**_

He thought to question it, to question its kindness. That was a mistake, and if not for his potential uses, he would've been left for dead beneath the waves. He would've known pain like no other. There would've been nothing left but a hollow shell when it was done.

Alas, it couldn't do that. He was too valuable to throw away.

 _ **A pity.**_

Its shadows spirited him away from the water. They took him to the shores, leaving him along the coast for the humans to find. No Grimm dared to go anywhere near him, especially not after one curious Beowolf got too close and found itself impaled on a black spike that formed out of the shadows. He would be safe, for now.

 _ **You are lucky, whelp.**_

It returned its attention to Vale. There was still much work to be done. Doing something like _that_ again required preparation. Its mind reached out across the network, searching.

 _ **There.**_

In one of the alleys, it found a group of Beowolves, Boarbatusks, and Ursai. There weren't more than a dozen of each in the large alley, all scrambling to find more prey.

Not one of them made it out.

Anyone that stumbled into that alleyway would find nothing. Not a single Grimm was left to decay. Its shadows consumed all of them, leaving nothing but nothing.

Across Vale, there were numerous reports of Grimm entering dark places, but not one of them ever coming back out. Multiple accounts reportedly said that they could have sworn that they saw the shadows _moving_. These were promptly ignored, dismissed as hallucinations produced by stress and fear.

It scoffed at this, or at least something close to that.

 ** _Fools, every one of them._**

It returned its focus to the network. Its plan was in motion, but there was something missing.

 ** _More_. _Need_ _more._**

Its mind reached out beyond the kingdom, searching. It found something buried beneath the mountain, something truly _ancient_. It was sleeping. That wouldn't last very long.

It smiled.

 ** _That will do._**

It set to work.

* * *

Cinder Fall

In truth, it was a very rare occasion for Cinder to ever lose her patience with anything. She knew how important it was to think long-term. Patience had served her well in her life.

But right now, she was done being patient.

They were making little progress against the massive droid, most of their attacks just bouncing off its armor. Not even a towering column of fire had done anything other than char its paint job.

Her mind was racing, trying to come up with a plan. She needed time. She needed _information_.

"Emerald, try to find a weakness while Mercury and I distract it."

"Yes ma'am."

Not a moment later, two of the three charged directly at the droid, firing everything they could to get its attention. Meanwhile, the third was slipping behind it, looking for any holes in the armor. She found no weak points, only reinforcements. Then she noticed a small red cloud coming from one of the towering smoke stacks on the droid's back. She didn't have any time to figure out what it was, as the droid quickly turned around and fired at her, forcing her to retreat until it had driven her back amongst the other two.

"Anything, Em?" Mercury was looking a bit tired, and the small wound he had received earlier wasn't helping.

"I might have something, but I need to make sure. Can you give me another distraction?"

"Very well." Cinder motioned for them to get ready.

With a wave of her hand, Cinder sent a gust of wind at the droid, forcing it back for a bit, though it stayed on its feet. They took this opportunity to close the distance, Mercury launching a barrage of shots from his boots and Cinder summoning another column of flames underneath the droid.

Meanwhile, Emerald was trying to find the red cloud she saw earlier. She found it, and there was no mistaking what it was.

Red dust.

The droid recovered from the assault, forcing them all back with a whirling barrage of cannon fire.

They regrouped at the center of the room, the droid backing off for a moment to assess any damage that it may have taken.

"There's red dust coming out of the smoke stacks, but it's not enough to set off a chain reaction. We need to find the source."

"Then where's the fuel tank?" Mercury was scanning the droid, trying to find where the tanks in question would most likely be.

"Probably hidden deep inside the armor. There's no way they'd leave something like that exposed."

"Then all we need to do is get something explosive inside the armor." Cinder was smiling. She had a plan.

"Emerald, how good is your throwing arm?"

"Decent enough, but I'm pretty sure I'd be better at it than Merc."

"Very well. Mercury, do you still have any dust grenades left?"

He reached into one of his pockets, pulling out a small ball with a red stripe and a pin on it. He threw it over to Emerald.

"Last one. Make it count, Em." He grinned, already knowing what Cinder was planning.

"Just give me a clear shot." She looked back over at the droid, trying to play out her throw in her head.

"Can do." Mercury smiled. He was just about ready to charge again when Cinder stopped him.

"Wait. I want to try something. Emerald, get ready to throw if the opportunity presents itself." The green haired girl nodded.

Cinder closed her eyes, tapping into the power again. She could hear the droid moving towards them. She was concentrating, bending the power to her will. Then she opened her eyes.

With both arms raised, she called upon the wind. Above the droid, a massive gust of wind was forming, waiting to be sent crashing against it. She brought her arms down, bringing the wind down on the droid, the unrelenting force pinning it helplessly to the ground.

Emerald saw her chance, and she took it, pulling the pin on the grenade. With a well-placed throw, she sent it directly into one of the smoke stacks on the droid's back. A mere moment later, they could hear an explosion. A moment after that, a much larger explosion went off, the force turning the droid completely inside out and sending all of them flying.

After the dust settled, all that was left of the droid were a few pieces from its legs, everything else being completely vaporized in the blast. The door behind it had been blown open, completely knocked off its hinges and into the next room.

"Well, that was fun." Mercury gave a small chuckle.

"Sure, if you really want to call it that." Emerald gave a sigh, relief clear across her features.

"There's no time for rest. We need to keep-" Cinder was cut off as another barrage of cannon fire was sent their way, sending all of them scrambling to dodge.

More spider droids were clambering into the room. Nearly a dozen were already firing at them, and more were coming in from the other room.

"Not again!" Emerald was dodging frantically, dancing between the various energy blasts and rockets flying at her. Mercury was doing much the same.

"Get back!" Cinder had a look in her eyes, and both knew exactly what was about to happen, immediately scrambling out of the room.

It was a very rare occasion for Cinder to lose her patience. It was even rarer for her to lose her temper. The droids were witnessing a once in a lifetime event, not that any would live long enough to tell about it.

Fury was washing over her features. The glow in her eyes was burning red with rage. She raised both of her hands. Towering columns of flame and massive gusts of winds were tearing through the droids, their armor melting and tearing under the unrelenting assault. Some were sent flying about the room, smashing into each other as they were carried helplessly by relentless currents of wind. Others were being burned from the inside out, some of the flames even reaching into their fuel tanks and igniting the red dust inside.

By the time that she had finished, not a single one of the droids attacking them was standing. Wreckage was scattered everywhere, smoldering in the leftover flames. One particularly unlucky droid was sent crashing through several doors with a powerful blast of wind, stopping just short of a heavily reinforced door.

Letting calm return to her mind, Cinder began a slow walk into the next room, Emerald and Mercury falling into step behind her. As they made their way past each of the rooms, Cinder could feel the hunger returning. It was gnawing at her, telling her to stop. There was no mistaking it, it sensed how close she was. By the time they reached the last door, the pain was just about unbearable, and it was showing on her face.

"Something wrong, boss?" Mercury would've gotten a hard whack to the head from Emerald for his impertinence if she wasn't too busy looking at Cinder, trying to find what was wrong.

"It's… nothing. Just a sign that we're very…close." She was speaking between hard gasps of pain. It had to be here. One last door, and she would find it.

"Open the door, Emerald."

"Y-Yes ma'am." There was concern in Emerald's voice, though Cinder didn't particularly care, too focused on keeping the pain under control.

' _Just a little longer. Just a little longer…'_

* * *

Ozpin

Ozpin could feel that they were getting closer. His suspicions were only confirmed when he heard a massive explosion not far from his location. Shortly after, he could hear more explosions, each one getting closer and closer.

They were coming.

He steeled himself, turning around to make sure he had hidden Amber as best he could. Even if he were to fall here, there was no way he was going to let them anywhere near her. He could only hope that they wouldn't find her.

The explosions had stopped, though he didn't need that to figure out that they had just finished off the last of the vault's defenses. All that was left between Amber and them was one door and him.

He checked his cane, the weapon that had served him faithfully ever since he was just a young huntsman-in-training. For better or for worse, he could feel that this would be where both of them would find their final rest.

He stood near the center of the room, the pillar just a short distance behind his back. He could sense that they were just behind the door, already seeking to open it.

His thoughts drifted for a moment, pondering just what everyone else would think of this.

 _'I'm sorry, Glynda, James, Qrow, everyone. I hope you can find it in yourselves to forgive me in the next life. I certainly won't.'_

He sighed sadly, closing his eyes and waiting for the inevitable.

* * *

?

His gaze was fixated on a monitor, the others completely forgotten as he focused intently on what it was showing. The Queen had broken through. The power was in her grasp.

He had released his suppression of the power's will, yet it wasn't enough. The power was gnawing at her, as it should, but the Queen wouldn't be stopped, every step getting bolder and bolder even as the pain intensified as she got closer.

She was at the last door. One of her pawns was already at work, overriding the extensive security locks. It wouldn't be long before she finished.

There was a man in the other room. He was standing in front of the pillar hiding the maiden. His face was unreadable.

Already, a number of scenarios were playing out in his mind. She could succeed and steal the power for himself. She could fail and find herself in the next life. She could even-

He had no further time to ponder.

The door had opened.

* * *

AN: Don't you just love it when things get serious? This one went through an interesting writing process. Most of it was a result of juggling work with free time and dropping the balls whenever I got any speed going. Issues aside, this chapter was a fun one to write. Coming up with sufficient "wham lines" as TV Tropes would call them was a real challenge. I like to think that I did okay with setting up some small reveals into each of our characters' backstories. Now then, on to a quick summary of what's going on. Adam and Yang are being carried off, their minds having been touched by the King, Roman and Neo have blown Ironwood out of the sky, The Presence is moving its plans forward, Cinder's just about ready to steal the power for herself, and Ozpin's finally going to make his last stand. Now to figure out what happens next. Please leave a review stating what you thought. Thanks, and stay safe.


	5. Chapter 5: One Queen To Another

AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! This chapter, we're going to focus on two main things.

First off, we've got Cinder vs. Ozpin, with the power of the Fall Maiden hanging in the balance. Place your bets! It's going to be close, trust me.

Secondly, we'll be looking at The Presence squaring off against a certain dragon Grimm (On a side note, I have no clue what the official name for it is, so I've just gone with calling it a dragon). That one took a bit of effort to write, but I think I did some interesting things with it.

Now, as for Adam, Yang, Roman, and Neo, they've been put on the backburner for this chapter, but I promise that they'll see some light in the next one. Now, without further ado, I present chapter 5 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

Cinder Fall

The door opened, revealing a large room. It was empty, save for a lone man standing in front of a pillar in the center of the room.

She recognized the man, his distinctive grey hair and green scarf giving a clear indicator that this was not a man to be trifled with: Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy.

She had spent months gathering information on him, trying to gauge his strengths, as well as his weaknesses. She found little on the former, and virtually nothing on the latter. The man was an enigma in his own right; not quite on the level of _him_ , but still impressive. She wasn't sure if she could expect to fight him and come out the victor, and her uncertainty was doing nothing to ease the hunger that had decided to return without warning.

He was unmoving against their approach, his hands resting on the cane he was never seen without. His eyes were unwavering, firmly locked on the three of them as they closed the distance. Stopping just a short distance away from him, Cinder spoke.

"I will give you one chance to walk away." She held up her hand, conjuring a small flame above her palm. "I suggest you take it."

The man's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing as he replied.

"You know I can't do that, Miss Fall."

"Such a shame. Then I guess we'll have to do this… the hard way."

Not a moment after, a pillar of flames burst beneath the headmaster's feet, the man jumping back to avoid it.

The attack sent pain coursing through her body, the power screaming in protest as it tried to stop her. Her breaths grew heavy as she tried to bend the power to her will.

"It resists you, doesn't it, Miss Fall?"

The headmaster had yet to take his eyes off of her, and his hands were still wrapped around the head of his cane. Cinder gave her response through ragged breaths.

"Don't…think that it will save you…old man."

A small smile played across the headmaster's lips, right before he vanished.

"Where'd he go?" Surprise was clear in Mercury's voice.

"Keep your eyes open!" Emerald was scanning the room, looking for any disturbance to give away the man's position.

A few seconds later, on pure instinct, Cinder summoned her swords and swung at thin air, just as the headmaster reappeared, the hidden blade in his cane drawn and aimed directly at her head. He had anticipated this, deftly parrying her counterattack and putting distance between them again.

She tried to summon a gust of wind to knock him back, but the power refused her command. Even the flames that had followed her every whim were beginning to grow restless. Using her power any further was out of the question.

She turned her gaze back to the grey haired man, who was weaving through a relentless assault from Emerald and Mercury. Again, he vanished from sight, just a second before Mercury's kick would have made contact.

He was using his semblance, or at least a part of it. What little information she could find on the man mentioned some sort of time related semblance. Based off what she found, he could take himself out of the normal flow of time, moving himself forward while everyone else was frozen in time. It only lasted a few seconds, but that could mean the difference between life and death in a fight. She wasn't sure what else he could do with it, but she was certain that it would prove to be just as deadly.

He reappeared again, this time behind Emerald. She had barely enough time to dodge his strike, though she wasn't fast enough to avoid taking a minor slash across her shoulder. He continued his assault, backing off only when Mercury rejoined the fight, dodging the brutal axe kick that he had aimed straight at his head. Taking advantage of the missed attack, the headmaster used the opening to score a clean slash across Mercury's outstretched leg.

Strangely, the attack seemed to go straight through his aura, making full contact with the leg underneath as if there was nothing there to stop it. The prosthetic quickly began to spark, and Mercury's damaged leg soon went limp, leaving him almost defenseless as the headmaster went for a slash against his other leg to take him out of the fight. Emerald was just barely able to block his attacks in time, though she received another slash in return, this one across her upper arm. Just as she readied to block another strike from the headmaster's cane sword, he vanished again.

Mercury was trying to fix his broken leg, though he was having a difficult time without any tools nearby. Without it, he was practically useless in a fight. "Damn… looks like I'm out for now. Em, give 'em hell for me, would you?"

"Oh I'll give him way more than that…" Emerald's expression grew dark, trying to find where the man would come from. She was readying to use her semblance on him. Before she could, however, he appeared directly in her blind spot, his cane already in the middle of a swing aimed at her back. He was too close for her to evade the attack, and it carved a clean cut across her back, similarly breaking through her aura as if it was never there in the first place. A small trickle of blood was beginning to come out of the fresh wound, though her aura managed to minimize the bleeding.

Not letting up his assault, the headmaster continued to slash away with his cane, Emerald's guard faltering against the relentless attacks. Joining the fight, Cinder attacked from the headmaster's blind spot, forcing him to turn his attention away from Emerald and back to Cinder. Holding off her flurry of slashes and sweeps, the headmaster was forced back before he vanished again.

Taking advantage of this short break in the fighting, Cinder turned to Emerald, who was trying to flare her aura and seal up any new wounds. "Take Mercury and get back to the surface. I'll deal with this. Signal Roman when you make it out."

Emerald looked surprised, her eyes going wide at the thought of leaving Cinder to fight the headmaster alone.

"But-"

"Now!" Cinder had just barely enough time to yell that out before she was forced to hold off another assault that came out of nowhere. Emerald quickly looked over the two combatants before grabbing Mercury and making for the door. There was a hint of regret on her face, though she shoved it down, following her orders without further protest. The door opened, and the two of them began making their way back to the vault's entrance with a hurried pace.

The headmaster disappeared again, though he reappeared a fair distance away from Cinder just a second later. His hands had returned to holding the head of his cane, and he gave no indications of making any further movements.

"I'm surprised you sent them away. You don't seem the type to sully your hands if you can avoid it."

"They weren't going to be of much use against you. They'd just get in the way."

The headmaster almost scoffed at this, the barest hint of a frown playing across his lips.

"Is that it? Are they all just pieces in your little game? Tools to be used and discarded once they've lost their usefulness?"

Cinder stood resolute in her reply.

"They all have their parts to play, and each has played them well. For that, at least, I will always be grateful, but I won't let anything deny me my prize. Not them, and certainly not you." She began to form her swords into a bow, the blades locking together to form the frame.

"Like I said, I won't allow that. If I can't turn you away from this path, then you leave me no choice."

"Go ahead and try, old man." Cinder drew her bow, black arrows forming along the string. Thankfully for her, that part of her power was still available to her, though she wasn't sure how long that would last.

"Goodbye, Miss Fall." The headmaster closed his eyes, readying for another use of his semblance.

Making use of this opportunity, Cinder fired her arrows at the man, who vanished just a split second before they were going to hit their mark. Anticipating an attack, she turned the bow back into swords, readying to block any incoming strikes. Even so, knowing it was coming and actually stopping it were two very different things, and she was barely able to hold off his assault as he let loose a flurry of slashes with his cane.

For a split second, she found an opening in his attack, using it to land a minor slash across his abdomen. He was largely unfazed by this, however, and merely vanished again.

He appeared in front of her this time, though there was something off about the way he looked. He was clearly using his semblance, but it didn't look like he was trying to pull himself out of the time flow like before.

Not wanting to waste an opportunity, however, Cinder moved to attack him with her swords. To her surprise, his cane moved in an instant, parrying the strikes and scoring a hit over her shoulder. Jumping back to put some distance between them, she was surprised again to see that the man had already closed the distance with an inhuman speed, crashing against her guard with an almost blindingly fast series of slashes with his cane. She was barely able to hold off the attacks, a scant few making it past her guard and scoring minor wounds across her body.

Backing off, the headmaster appeared to return to normal. He looked somewhat tired, most likely from using his semblance in whatever way he had earlier.

"Impressive… I haven't seen anyone hold off an assault like that one since I fought with Qrow."

"What was that? I've never seen anything like it." She was probing, trying to figure out what he had just done. Her information on him made no mention of this, clearly an indicator that he kept quite a few tricks up his sleeve.

"Do you really think that I'll give you anything to use against me, Miss Fall?"

"No, not really. Just curious."

"Enough. Clearly, you're outmatched. I will give you one last chance. Walk away."

Something in Cinder snapped when she heard that. Rage flooded her system, the adrenaline giving her a renewed burst of energy. Even the power that had resisted ever since she stepped into the room bended to her will, helpless before her fury. A torrent of wind and fire was rolling around the room.

"What makes you think you're in any position to negotiate, old man!? I have the power of the maiden! You are nothing!"

Determination spread across the man's features. He drew his cane sword and pointed it directly at her.

"We shall see."

* * *

The Presence

In all its years, it had never seen anything like the sleeping giant that laid buried beneath the mountain. Even when compared to the most ancient Goliaths, the beast was easily their elder. The power it held was virtually limitless, and such power would prove useful against what was to come. As such, the Presence, never one to leave an opportunity unexploited, probed its mind, searching for a way to harness the power held within.

 ** _Let me in. Let me in. Let me in. Let me in…_**

Like all Grimm, age had expanded its mind, its countless millennia of experience and wisdom evident in its sleeping dreams. In its mind, the beast could sense the hate and fear emanating from Vale. The allure of negativity was stirring it from its slumber. It wouldn't be long before it woke up.

 ** _Sleep…Sleep….Sleep…._**

Setting to work, it began to burrow itself into the beast's mind, its shadows enveloping the sleeping Grimm's body as it dug further and further into its psyche. Unlike most Grimm, however, the beast felt the intruder entering its mind, and readied its mental defenses accordingly.

 ** _Intruder, I give you one chance to turn away._**

 ** _You dare?_**

Soon feeling that its influences were being resisted, the Presence redoubled its efforts, pushing its way past the mental barriers that the beast had erected to hold the intruder in its mind at bay.

 ** _I will stop you._**

 ** _Impressive, but it will not save you in the end, beast._**

Slowly, it dug its way past the beast's fortified mind, the defenses crumbling against the ever hungry shadows. Not long after, there was nothing standing between it and the center of the beast's mind.

 ** _Leave now, or face my wrath._**

 ** _You are mine._**

Sensing the impending danger, the beast projected itself into its mind, its massive form towering over the shadows invading its psyche. It took to the skies (or at least, what could be considered such in the endless expanse of its mind), black blobs dripping off its skin and creating more Grimm. Soon, the mental battlefield was in chaos, countless Grimm facing off against an endless tide of living shadows.

 ** _Begone, foul shadow!_**

 ** _You delay the inevitable. You are mine now._**

Amidst the mental war, the beast and the Presence were battling in the skies, a massive black dragon against a massive black cloud. Neither side was gaining any ground, any losses on either side quickly being replenished tenfold. Any flames the dragon sent at the cloud were consumed into nothing, and the shadows that devoured lesser Grimm whole were merely bouncing off the dragon's hide. All the while, the two monsters were screaming at each other, each word dripping with hate so pure that Grimm all over Remnant were being drawn to the negativity like moths to a flame.

 ** _I am An'Trok, The Great Carrion! My armies will darken the skies like no others! My wings will herald the end of all things! You are nothing before a primal Grimm like I! BEGONE!_**

 ** _Your time has passed, foul beast! I am the Black Presence, and I will not be so easily cowed. You are as a grain in an endless sea of sand against my might. Your resistance is futile. You will be MINE!_**

 ** _Foul shadow, learn your place! I am infinite! I am eternal! I am a GOD!_**

 ** _You are no god of mine, foul beast!_**

 ** _You DARE address me with such impudence!?_**

 _ **I do.** _

Such exchanges went back and forth, neither side giving any ground. Every word was sending the Grimm in Vale into an absolute frenzy, rage overtaking their minds as they lost all restraint from the urge to _feed_. The kingdom's defenders, already hard pressed, were being driven back even further into the city against the relentless onslaught.

The war in the beast's mind was raging, Grimm slashing away at formless shadows as they devoured the Grimm under a tide of black. On both land and sky, chaos reigned supreme, logic and reason lost upon this mental plane of reality. What little of the sky that wasn't covered in shadows, Nevermores, and Griffons was colored a deep red. An endless abyss of darkness lay beneath the ground that didn't exist, yet still somehow held up the millions of Grimm and living shadows tearing into each other with reckless abandon.

All of this was lost on the two titans battling in the skies, all their focus put squarely on destroying each other, completely and utterly. Flames and shadows were raining down upon the combatants below, scores of them being consumed whole as more were spawned to take their place in the killing fields. The dragon's hide had a mass of writhing black shadows trying to eat its way through, to no avail. The cloud was smoldering, flames dancing their way across it before falling harmlessly to the ground below.

 ** _You are nothing! Surrender, whelp!_**

 ** _Never!_**

 ** _Then DIE!_**

Both titans let out a roar so bone-chilling, the ground, the _actual ground_ , surrounding the mountain shook like it had never done before. All across Remnant, every single Grimm had joined in, their collective roar shaking the world of Remnant to its very foundations.

Not a single man, woman, or child on Remnant that heard it would escape the nightmares for years to come.

* * *

Ozpin

Even with his experience, Ozpin knew that he would have difficulty facing Cinder alone. He wasn't expecting her to be unable to use the stolen power of the maiden, but he wasn't one to question Lady Luck when she was smiling upon him.

Of course, in this instance, he did have a _slight_ urge to question what he had done to deserve her more… unfavorable gifts, such as the enraged woman who was conjuring waves of flame and gusts of wind at him, leaving him barely any room to catch his breath before he was forced to evade again. Perhaps it was his rather poorly worded offer of truce a few moments earlier that had upset her.

Whatever the case, he couldn't keep this up forever. Slowly, but surely, he was losing, unable to gain any ground against the power of the maiden. He tried using his semblance to get in close, but the winds moved to protect her just as he jumped back into the time flow and forced him back. Even trying to accelerate time around him had done little, only allowing him a few minor hits that were quickly sealed up by her aura. He needed another plan, and fast.

His mind raced through his memories, trying to find _something_ that could put a stop to her, but he was coming up blank. Another column of flame was conjured beneath his feet, sending him scrambling to evade just as a surprise gust of wind caught him and slammed him into the wall.

The impact caused a number of injuries across his body, though his aura mitigated the worst of the damages. He was running out of time (a curious statement, given the nature of his semblance, but it was painfully clear that he wouldn't last much longer).

 _'Use it.'_

The stray voice in his head gave him pause. It was referring to a certain use of his semblance that he had long since vowed to never use again. His first instinct was stubborn refusal; nothing was worth doing _that_ again.

 _'It's the only way.'_

He took longer to refuse this time, doubt plaguing his mind as he pondered any alternative options. He couldn't find any.

 _'You know what you have to do'_

Somewhere, deep inside of him, he was screaming in refusal, but it was only a small part. Resignation, followed by regret, and finally acceptance, washed over him as he drew upon his semblance. He froze time again.

He had no intention of trying to attack her, such would be a waste of effort. Instead, he closed his eyes, pouring all his focus into empowering his semblance. He concentrated on her, willing her, or rather the time surrounding her, to move forward. His hold over normal time was beginning to weaken, his semblance would only give him a few more seconds at best, but he didn't care, putting everything he had into this final effort. Time around Cinder was no longer moving in seconds. Instead, it was moving in entire decades. By the time he was done, she would be nothing but a withered husk.

His semblance gave out, and normal time flow resumed. He could already see the effects of what he had done. Cinder's ivory skin had gone from silky smooth to worn and wrinkly. Her raven hair had gone stark white. She was clutching her chest, for some reason he didn't know, probably trying to take in what he had just done to her.

He collapsed not a moment after, the use of his semblance completely exhausting him. Slowly, he could feel unconsciousness overtaking him. He welcomed the darkness.

Nothing he ever did would absolve him of this crime, this defilement of the sanctity of life. He knew that he had to do it, but he took no comfort in it. All the crushing guilt and shame he had felt the last time was coming back. He was young and foolish back then, unaware of just how dangerous his power was. He lost much when it escaped his control, everything he knew and loved withering to dust as time around them moved faster and faster. He swore to control it that day, to never let it happen again. For much of his life, he held firm to that, never letting it out of his grasp, no matter the circumstances.

In a way, he still held to that promise. Everything he did to her was under his own power. He had willed it to happen, willed it to end her in the most horrific way imaginable.

Either he broke his promise and let his power run wild once again, or he kept it and willingly used his power in the cruelest way possible. He wasn't sure which one scared him the most. Neither provided him any solace.

He looked over one last time, and he couldn't find her. She must have turned to dust already. His vision was fading to black. His time was up.

 _'Goodbye, everyone. This is where I pay for all I've done.'_

Just before the darkness overtook him, he could have sworn that he heard the pillar moving.

* * *

An'Trok, the Great Carrion

The intruder that had dared to defile the sanctity of his mind was holding firm. Such defiance was something he had never seen before. Not even the greatest humans of old ever stood their ground against his divine fury. All had fled, and the scant few foolish enough to remain were swept away like the insignificant specks they were.

He had slept for untold millennia, the Grimm that once made up his armies long dead without their master to give them life. These new Grimm were but shadows of what the Grimm of old were. Even his own once mighty body had atrophied from the Great Sleep. He would have his work cut out for him returning the Grimm to their former glory.

But that would come later. For now, he was stuck in a war inside his mind. The intruder, the Black Presence, as it had called itself, refused to bow before him. Him! An'Trok, The Great Carrion! Such impudence would be punished with neither pity nor mercy. It was only a matter of time.

If only he could have his old body back! Then this defiant little gnat would be crushed beneath his rage like the bug it was. Alas, even his mind was too weak to project himself in his former glory. Now he was stuck in a withered husk, a shell that wasn't even worthy of being called a trophy, let alone the vessel for his divine will! There would be so much work to do.

Their battle had long since reached a stalemate. His Grimm were facing the endless shadows with all the fury they could muster, but that did nothing to turn the tide. He returned his attention to the intruder. The black cloud of shadows was a formidable foe in its own right, as much as he hated to admit it. His fire did nothing to it, the shadows merely convulsing to send the flames harmlessly to the ground or even consuming the flames whole. Likewise, the black shadows that gnawed at his sacred hide were an annoyance, and he swatted them off with casual disdain.

This battle could go on forever, and such did not sit well with the self-proclaimed god. How would he restore the Grimm to their former glory when he was stuck under this accursed mountain, locked in an endless battle in his mind? How would he remind the humans of their place? How would he awaken the other primals from their slumber? How would-

Something changed in the cloud as his mind pondered over the future. The shadows grew thicker, darker, almost as if it was concentrating for something. Whatever it was, he would be ready. Nothing it did could possibly-

Just as he braced himself for the attack, his whole world exploded in pain.

There was something eating away at him, tearing him open from the inside. He could feel his insides liquefying as they were consumed by hungry shadows.

 _ **Impossible! IMPOSSIBLE!** _

His screams were defiant, his voice refusing to leave as more and more of him was lost to darkness.

 ** _I AM GOD HERE! YOU ARE NOTHING! I AM AN'TROK! I AM THE GREAT CARRION! I AM-_**

 ** _You are NOTHING, foul beast! Your time has passed. Return to dust._**

 ** _YOU DARE INSULT ME, WHELP!? I AM INFINITE! I AM ETERNAL!_**

 ** _You are forgotten, old one. All who once feared you are long gone. It is time for you to join them._**

 _ **NEVER!** _

With one final roar of defiance, he unleashed a flame so bright, it was almost as if the sun itself had risen in the black void of his mind. The flames enveloped the intruder whole, the shadows screaming in protest as his divine fire incinerated them.

His eyes began to feel heavy.

He had spent everything he had left in that final strike, and he could feel the life leaving him as he plummeted further into the empty abyss of his mind, the shadows still consuming him from the inside out. Slowly, but surely, he could feel death approaching, his mind failing under the stress of fighting off the intruder. The least he could hope for was that he had spared the other primals from facing a monster like that.

Just before his light faded completely, he could hear a voice.

 ** _Sleep… forevermore…_**

It wasn't a moment after that all went black.

* * *

Cinder Fall

Pain. All she could feel was pain. The hunger had grown tenfold, and the sudden aging of her body was only making it worse. She was barely able to keep herself upright at this point, desperately making her way towards the pillar, falling against it in order to support herself.

She knew that the headmaster would have something up his sleeve, but even she couldn't have predicted something like _that._ She could feel him willing time to move forward. She could feel her body screaming in protest as it was unnaturally aged by entire decades in mere seconds. She could feel the hunger growing, taking advantage of her weakened state without mercy.

She was running out of time. She had to find the other half of the power before she turned to dust. Maybe then, with the full power of the Fall maiden, she could find a way to restore herself.

On the pillar, she found a keypad. Her mind searched for the code, but she found nothing. In desperation, she wildly began keying in numbers, hoping against hope that something would work.

She couldn't be stopped here, not when she was so close. She would not be stopped by some damned number lock, not like this. Such would be just insulting. The power was calling out to her, screaming to be reunited with its other half. Even as it tore away at her, it wanted nothing more than for her to stumble upon the right code so that it could return to the maiden it had been taken from. It eased its bite, giving her a brief release from the pain.

Searching for something, _anything_ that could clue her in to the right code, she sifted through all the information she had found on the man that had locked the maiden away. Most of it was related to his abilities in combat, and she doubted that it would be of much use in finding the right combination.

Going through the little that she had found on his checkered life, a string of numbers came to her. She found it when she learned of a certain incident involving his semblance in his earlier life. She had written it off as insignificant, just a random set of numbers to attach to a painful memory, a way to leave it behind in the past where it belonged.

Now, she was cursing her own stupidity. All her life, she had seen the importance of knowing every minute detail, no matter how insignificant. Such awareness had provided her a number of opportunities that would have sailed by less attentive folk. How she had forgotten was beyond her.

Fragments were returning to her, pieces of the code forming in her mind. She began pressing various numbers into the keypad, trying to fill in the holes her mind had left in the code. All she needed were the last two.

 _091045_

Nothing.

 _091047_

Still nothing.

 _091049_

This repeated again and again, nothing happening every single time. Somewhere, deep down inside her, she could feel hope leaving her. She couldn't possibly find it before the hunger returned and consumed her whole. It had gone silent, for now, but she could feel that it was growing restless. She couldn't even feel the tears leaving her eyes, her mind still racing as it tried desperately to find the last piece of the code.

She was just about ready to give in to the growing pain when a flash of light burst into her vision. It had disappeared as suddenly as it came, white light flooding her vision. In a sudden moment of clarity, she found it. Her vision returned to her, and she could see the last two pieces of the code in her mind as clear as the day she first saw it.

 _091062_

Somewhere, she could hear a click, and the pillar began to move. The room hidden underneath opened, and she could see the maiden holding the other half of the power. The hunger had returned, gnawing away at her, trying to escape and reunite with its other half. It took everything she had to keep herself from being torn inside out.

There was no way she could summon the leech again, not when she was in this much pain. She would have to use a more…direct approach. All she could hope for was that the power would come to her when the maiden died.

She called upon the flames, the effort taking more willpower than she had ever mustered in her entire life. Even then, they were resisting her, refusing to harm their charge.

She would _not_ be denied. She commanded them again, straining her mind to its very limits as she tried to bend the flames to her will. They resisted even further, moving against her to protect their charge.

' _NO! OBEY!'_

Her mind gave one final roar, the sheer rage, pain, and desperation blending together into a voice that stopped the flames dead in their tracks.

She could feel the flames listening to her. She had them turn around, pointing them toward the comatose maiden. They rushed at her, their earlier resistance completely gone as they rushed into the room, incinerating everything in their path. Soon after, nothing was left in the room but a pile of ashes.

As the flames turned the maiden's body to ash, she could feel _something_ entering her body. It was familiar, yet different at the same time. It was like the power had left her body and returned after a long absence, but she knew that couldn't be possible. The gnawing hunger had stopped, replaced with a burning fire within her. It didn't harm her like the hunger did, the cold emptiness that had eaten away at her replaced with warmth that only a roaring fire could bring.

The sudden change had pushed her mind past its limits, and she could feel herself hitting the ground. Just before unconsciousness overtook her completely, she heard a voice, but she couldn't recognize it.

 **' _We will see if you are worthy, child. We will see…'_**

Those words were the last thing she could remember before all went black.

* * *

AN; Well, looks like things are getting intense. Again, I'd like to reiterate that this is pretty much completely non-canon.

Now, a bit more explanation on just what Ozpin's semblance does. First off, his semblance is time manipulation. That means he has a lot of leeway in what he can actually do with it. The first thing we saw him do was freeze time while he moved normally. The next was accelerating time around himself to get a speed boost. The last thing he did was accelerate time around someone else, aging them entire years for every second. Important thing to note, using his power in any way other than the first one takes a lot out of him. Plus there's his moral issues against aging people into dust. Overall, the man has a very deadly semblance that I'd say fits in pretty well with the general time motif he has. On the other hand, he could be considered overpowered if looked at in the right way, but I like to think that he's headmaster for a reason. Beyond that, he's just one deadly guy in a world full of deadly people. Just wait till you see the King in action.

An'Trok was a blast to write, and I just loved the idea of a mind war between the Presence and the Great Carrion. As for the name, there wasn't too much thought that went into it (truthfully, I just needed something that sounded kind of awesome). One thing to consider is that there hasn't been a single uniquely named Grimm in canon RWBY, but this guy stands on a completely different level above those Grimm. That's where the distinction between Grimm and primal Grimm comes into play. An'Trok is one of these primal Grimm, and he's far more ancient and deadly than even the oldest goliaths. Notice how he mentions awakening the other primals. Keep that in mind, because An'Trok was just the start. There's a whole world of Grimm that we have yet to explore, and I've got a lot of ideas bouncing around on what to do with them. If you've got any ideas for some new primals, feel free to tell me all about it. The only real criteria I can give is that it has a name that kind of fits in with the theme naming I did with An'Trok (name followed by a general descriptor) and that it is some sort of animal (that doesn't necessarily mean real life animals, either, so go nuts). In any case, now that the Presence has An'Trok's power, it has just about everything it needs to set its plan in motion.

Lastly, it looks like I've gone and killed off Amber. Let's face it, some pieces need to be sacrificed to the plot gods, and she ended up drawing the unlucky straw. Now that she's gone, however, we have the question of who inherits the mantle of Fall maiden. I'm sure you guys can figure out what that voice in Cinder's head meant when it mentioned seeing if she was "worthy".

Well, that's my lengthy note on what just happened. Please leave a review stating what you think. Thanks for reading.


	6. Chapter 6: Fall To Fall

AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! This chapter's a bit late, but I blame work for that. In all seriousness, however, this one was a bit of an interesting one to write, and the release of Volume 3's finale definitely gave me a lot to think about. In any case, sorry for the delay.

Now then, let's go over what happened in the previous chapters that this one will be addressing. In no particular order, Roman and Neo are pretty much the only remaining airship in the sky (with Neo getting a bombshell dropped on her about her past by Ironwood), Adam and Yang were last seen being carried off by the White Fang, Cinder and Ozpin finished their fight that left both of them unconscious and Amber dead, the Presence and An'Trok waging an epic war in the center of the mind, and the King watching everything from the comfort of his chair.

So, with that in mind, I present chapter 6 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

Adam Taurus

When Adam came to, he found himself on a makeshift bed, dimly noticing the various medics moving about to tend to the injured. Most looked relatively stable, though he could see the cloth sheets covering the few that couldn't be saved.

He could hear gunfire, explosions, and screaming, all telltale sounds of a heated battle raging outside. That didn't make any sense.

Even accounting for the handful of students that hid in the academy, all of them should have been taken care of by now. As far as he knew, the blonde he had fought was the last one. Not even the Grimm were supposed to be a problem; most should have fixated on the chaos in Vale after the fighting at Beacon ended, and the few that didn't would have been simple enough to put down. His mind was trying to determine why that was apparently not the case.

' _What's going on out there?'_

He made to get out of the bed, one of the medics, a cat Faunus, taking notice of this and trying to stop him. She tried holding him down, thought she wasn't making much headway in that regard.

"Sir! Please, you need to rest. " Her voice was firm, though he could hear a bit of exhaustion behind it, probably a result of having to tend to countless others before him.

Adam was undeterred. There was still a battle to be won, and he wasn't the type to sit around while others did his fighting for him, not if he could help it. He continued to rise up from the covers, gently pushing her hands away from him as he got off the bed.

"I'll be fine."

"But-" She was about to protest, but was quickly cut off.

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

A conflicted look crossed her face before she nodded. "Alright. Just don't do anything too reckless, alright?"

He nodded. "Will do." He then realized that he was missing a few things. "Where are my mask and weapons?"

She pointed towards the opening in the tent. "The guys that brought you in left them right there around the entrance. You can't miss them." She began moving towards another one of her patients.

"Alright, thanks." He waved her off, moving towards the entrance, where he found his mask and weapons laid out neatly on the floor. He put the mask back on, his vision partially obscured once again as he was forced to look through two small eye slits. That part always bothered him. He made a mental note to himself to find a solution to that if he made out of this.

He did a quick inspection of his weapons. Both were mostly undamaged, Wilt only having a few small cracks from his earlier fight with the blonde and Blush in much the same condition. He took a moment to reload Blush and sharpen Wilt's edge before he re-sheathed the sword and made his way out the tent.

Already, he could see that things were most certainly _not_ going according to plan.

His part in Cinder's plan was to both provide a distraction for her to slip in undetected and to secure the academy so they could make a quick escape afterwards. They had brought Grimm along in their bullheads to assist in this, and while Adam had some objections to this, she told him that they would be drawn to the negativity coming from Vale once the bulk of the fighting was done at Beacon.

Clearly, she was either very wrong, or lying straight to his face when she told him that.

He could see a number of Beowolves, Ursai, Boarbatusks, and assorted Grimm fighting against the White Fang in Beacon's courtyard. These Grimm were clearly enraged, as if something had stirred them into an uncontrollable frenzy. His comrades were holding firm for the moment, but he knew that wouldn't last forever. He didn't waste any more time pondering the situation. Already, his feet were moving, his eyes trying to find where the largest threats were.

His gaze turned to a trio of Beowolf Alphas facing off against one of his lieutenants, one wielding a rather dangerous looking chainsaw. The man was on the defensive, unable to gain any ground against the relentless assault of fangs and claws. He managed to get a lucky swing in at one of the Alphas, the attack sawing off an arm, though that did little more than enrage it further.

Adam was already closing the distance, his hands preparing to draw Wilt in the blink of an eye with a shot from Blush. Taking advantage of the Alphas' fixation on the lieutenant, he managed to take one of them, the one that had lost its arm earlier, by surprise, the lightning quick sword slash he dealt carving clean through its bone armor and slicing the beast in two, the remains evaporating not long after.

Taking notice of the new combatant, one of the Alphas redirected its attention towards him, letting loose a resounding howl before it lunged directly at him, claws raised and aimed for his head. Deftly evading the beast's claws, he used its momentum to send it straight into the floor, the Alpha landing in a heap before scrambling to its feet again.

It slashed at him with his claws, forcing him on the defensive against a flurry of swipes and bites. He looked for an opening in the assault, finding one just as the Alpha lunged forwards for another bite. Exploiting this, he blocked the attack with Wilt while aiming Blush for a shot against the beast's chest. He pulled the trigger, and the shot hit dead on, and the Alpha let out a howl of pain as it recoiled from the hit, but it didn't die like he expected it to. Even so, he took this opportunity to put some distance between them.

Enraged even further from the unexpected attack, the Alpha let out a deafening roar as it charged at him again with both of its claws raised. Already, Adam had expected it to do this, sheathing Wilt in preparation. Waiting for just the right moment, he kept his finger on Blush's trigger. Just as the beast came within inches of gutting him with its claws, he launched Wilt from its sheathe, slashing clean down the Alpha's midline. The slash bisected the creature completely, its body already evaporating before it even hit the ground.

Re-sheathing Wilt, he looked over to see the lieutenant finish off the other Alpha with a devastating punch to the face, the body evaporating not long after the beast crumpled to the ground. The man turned to look at Adam and began walking over.

"Sir! Are you sure you should be out fighting like this? We found you-"

"I'm fine, lieutenant. Report."

"Sir! After we found you and that other girl in the cafeteria, we immediately rushed you to the medics to ensure your safety."

"I can piece that part together just fine, lieutenant. What I would like to know is why we're suddenly fighting a horde of Grimm that should've left for Vale already."

"I don't know how it happened, sir. By the time we found you, we had already secured most of the academy, and most of the students had been either eliminated or captured. At first, everything was going according to plan: most of the Grimm were ignoring us and running off towards Vale. Then…" Even without the mask that covered the man's face, the hesitation was obvious.

"Then _what_?"

"…Then... _something_ came over them. I can't exactly describe what it was, sir, but it sent all the Grimm here into a frenzy, and it was all we could do to hold off the initial waves."

"I see… what's our current status?"

"We've managed to hold off the Grimm and maintained our foothold in the courtyard, but we've taken heavy losses. We're holding the line for now, but I highly doubt that we'll last for much longer."

"Lieutenant, we need to get the men in order and set up a defensible location. Staying here in the courtyard is suicide. Any thoughts on where to dig in?"

"I would recommend the tower over there." He pointed to Beacon's central tower, which also doubled as the CCT tower in Vale. Adam remembered seeing Cinder go in there not long before he fought with the blonde.

"That place leaves us out in the open, lieutenant. We can't risk getting attacked from both the ground and the air. We need-"

"But sir! We've noticed that most of the Grimm are avoiding that particular area. We're not sure why, but at this point, I believe that it's our best chance."

"Is that so?" Adam grew pensive for a moment, wondering just what could be warding the Grimm away from the tower. He pushed that thought to the side, turning his focus on how defensible the location was. It was out in the open, like he said, but a quick look over to the area showed that the skies were strangely clear of any flying Grimm. Likewise, there were only a handful of Grimm on the ground around the tower, and even those were quick to run away for some unknown reason. The thought of trying to hold out in an area like that still made him somewhat uneasy, but he had to concede that it was their best chance at making it through this alive.

"Alright, lieutenant. Here's what we'll do. Round up the men and get them over to the tower. I want that place to be as fortified as possible. Don't let anything get near it, understand?"

"Yes sir. Nothing will make it past us, I swear it."

"Good. Now, I need to know where you put all the people we've captured."

"We took them to the dormitories. I lost contact with the men stationed there not long after the Grimm attacked us. What do you have in mind, sir?" A slight hint of confusion could be heard in the lieutenant's voice.

A small grin played across Adam's lips.

"I'm recruiting some help."

With that, he ran off towards the dormitories, leaving the lieutenant to carry out his orders.

* * *

Roman Torchwick + Neopolitan

"…so can you remember anything else, Neo?"

"No…I can't." She was trying as hard as she could, but everything was just a blur in her mind. She looked away, trying to avoid looking him in the eye.

Roman sighed, trying to process what she had told him. From the little she could remember, it was very obvious that she had some rather…questionable things done to her, though she couldn't exactly remember what they were.

' _Damn it, Ironwood… what did you do to her?'_

He looked over at her. She was looking away from him, trying to hide the pain in her eyes, though she wasn't doing a very good job of it. He wasn't going to let that continue.

"Look at me, Neo." She did, and he could see small traces of tears glistening in her eyes. "You know what I first saw when I found you?" She shook her head.

He continued on. "I saw a little girl that needed a place to call home. Turned out you weren't so little, but that's beside the point." He chuckled a bit at that, though the attempt at lightening the situation did little to improve her mood.

"Anyways, that was almost three years ago. Back then, I was just barely getting into my stride, with practically nothing to my name save for some stuff I took from home. Even getting by was a gamble that I wasn't even sure I'd win."

"Then why did you take me in? Why take on a burden like me?" Her tone was uncertain, and it was made worse when he hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Why?" He let out a small chuckle, a small smile growing on his face. "You know something? I'm not even sure why I brought you back home with me. I was barely able to feed myself, and taking you in only made things harder." His expression grew regretful. "At one point, I seriously thought about leaving you behind; just taking everything and running."

She looked hurt by this, not by what he thought of doing to her, but by the troubles she had caused him. "Why didn't you? You would've been better off without-" She was cut off by a rather heated outburst from Roman.

"Don't even think about finishing that, Neo!" Anger flashed across his face for a split second before he calmed down and sighed. "Look, I've done a lot of questionable, strange, and just plain stupid things in my life, but I'm going to tell you right now that taking you in that day was _not_ one of them." His face softened a bit. "You want to know why I didn't just cut and run?" She nodded, though she was beginning to look away. She couldn't bear to look him in the eyes. "Because every time I thought about leaving you on your own, I just couldn't do it. It's a cruel world out there, and I'll be _damned_ before I leave you alone in it." A warm smile was plain on his face, though she could barely see it past the tears. She asked him something.

"When you look at me now, what do you see?"

He took a moment before answering. "Right now? I see that little girl all grown up, and I couldn't be any prouder."

His words gave her pause.

"Even after everything I told you? About what they did to me?" She was still refusing to look him in the eyes, her own shut tightly as she tried to keep the tears in. He turned her around to face him.

"Neo, look at me." She opened her eyes, and she could see the concern clear in his face. "I took care of you, fed you, clothed you, and everything else that any parent worth their salt should be doing for almost three years." He smiled. "What makes you think that a little thing like this could change all of that?"

Her eyes widened. At that point, the tears she had been desperately fighting back were flowing freely. She couldn't even bring herself to say anything, her mind unable to understand why he was so willing to look past everything she had told him. All she could do was hold him tightly in a desperate embrace.

He wrapped his arms around her protectively. "Shh… it's alright. Let it all out. I'm here for you. I'll always be here, alright?" She was listening intently, and the words only brought more tears to her eyes. She was trembling, all the pain and fear she felt about the memories of her earlier life flowing out of her in waves that send shivers down her body. He held her tightly, rubbing soothing circles in her back to help her calm down.

They stayed like that for a while before splitting apart. For a moment, they just sat there in silence, neither quite sure of what to do. Roman was the first to break the silence.

"Feeling better now?" A playful smile spread across his face, though she could tell he was serious.

She turned to look at him, her face looking far better than it had been before. "A little."

He laughed at that. "Just a little? Do I need to do it again?" She could tell that he was already back to teasing her. She wasn't sure if she should respond in kind or tell him what needed to be said. Then she remembered what he had told her, and she made her choice in a heartbeat.

"Roman…thank you. For everything."

He looked surprised for a moment before a knowing smile grew across his face.

"Anytime, Neo. Anytime."

* * *

?

The figure was staring at the screen, his eyes frozen on the lone (and very old) woman lying unconscious on the floor. He watched their battle with utmost attention, taking in every little action with great interest.

In the end, she had won, but not without great cost. The grey haired man, in a final desperate attempt at stopping her, aged her far beyond her natural lifespan. She would've been turned to dust, had he not kept her form together with his will.

He saw her as she desperately tried to access the maiden hidden underneath the room. Against all odds, she managed it, and even as the power revolted against her, she bent it to her will and burned the maiden to ash.

He could sense the power entering a new host. However, he wasn't expecting it to go to her. She collapsed not long after. He tried to reach into her mind, but something was blocking him out. He tried again, the results being much the same. Forgoing that approach, he turned his gaze away from the woman. He would just have to wait and see what happened.

His eyes moved over to the grey haired man, who had collapsed after he overexerted his semblance for one final attack. Already, his body was fading, time itself trying to remove him from reality. Acting quickly, he commanded the time flow to stop, and the headmaster's body slowly returned from nonexistence as a bright light enveloped him. Every screen showing the man's body turned completely white as the light grew even brighter, and when it faded, he was gone. He would be dealt with later.

His eyes turned back to the Queen. While he couldn't gaze directly into her mind, he could tell that something else was in there. He tried probing her mind, trying to ascertain its intentions. When he did so, however, all he heard was an angry voice.

' _ **Get out.'**_

The voice thought to command _him_. He was amused at this.

' _ **Who do you think you are?'**_

The voice gave a cold reply.

' _ **Something far beyond your understanding.'**_

He laughed quietly to himself at its impudence.

' _ **Then you know nothing of what I am.'**_

The voice was silent for a moment, before it spoke again.

' _ **Stay away from her. I am not finished with her yet.'**_

He refused the request.

' _ **You think to order me?'**_

The voice's tone grew dark.

' _ **Come no closer, or she will know pain like no other. All that will be left is an empty shell.'**_

The threat gave him pause. He knew that it was more than capable of carrying it out. He sighed.

' _ **Very well. Finish quickly.'**_

Emboldened by its victory, the voice replied with a hint of cold disdain in its tone.

' _ **I make no promises.'**_

* * *

Cinder Fall

' _Where am I...?'_

When she came to, Cinder found herself in an empty void. She tried to gain her bearings, but her body refused to move. She was drifting in empty space, unable to do anything but try desperately to find something, anything to figure out where she was. Then she heard a voice.

' _ **So you are awake. I was starting to think that would never happen.'**_

Not a moment after the voice finished talking, something appeared in front of her. It looked vaguely human in shape, but its whole body was wrapped in a cloak of flames that obscured most of its identifying features.

"What are you?"

' _ **I? I am the will of nature itself. I am the power you so desperately crave. I… am Fall.'**_

The figure's words surprised her. She wasn't expecting the power to have a will of its own, at least not to the point that it was practically a sentient being all its own. She needed to know more. "Why are you here?"

The flames cloaking the figure intensified as it answered.

' _ **You should already know why. You were the one that took a part of me from the true maiden. You were the one that sought to steal that which didn't belong to you. You were the one that killed her.'**_

"Then why haven't you killed me yet?" She could feel an invisible force crushing down on her right after the words left her mouth.

' _ **Don't think for a moment that you are safe from me. It would take a mere thought for me to extinguish your flame. However…'**_

The flames began to die down, and the force pressing against her lifted, and Cinder felt that she could move again, turning to face the figure as it continued.

'… _ **you find yourself in a rather…unique position.'**_

She was confused at its words. "How so?"

' _ **You were not meant to inherit the power of the maiden, yet I was drawn into your body after you burned the girl, Amber, if I recall her name correctly, to ash. Now I find myself wondering what to do with you.'**_

Surprise, followed by anger grew from these words. "I did _not_ spend the better part of three years trying to take her power only to have it taken away because I don't 'deserve' it!"

' _ **Hmm… your conviction is strong, and while your motives are rather…selfish, I have served countless others that were far worse than you could ever hope to be. As such, I give you a choice.'**_

"Yes?"

' _ **You can either let me continue on my way to the rightful maiden, and I will trouble you no further, or you can try to prove your worth, like every maiden before you. Succeed, and whatever path you take, wherever that path will lead, I will follow. Fail, and I will tear your mind to pieces, leaving you nothing but a broken shell after I am through with you.'**_

Cinder was debating her answer. There was no way she'd let all her efforts over the past three years go to waste, not when she was so close. As such, that really only left one choice for her. She took it without hesitation.

"Let me prove my worth."

' _ **As you wish.'**_

With that, the empty void began to fade away, shapes forming out of nothing as a room constructed itself around the two of them. At the moment, there was nothing else in the room save for a few hanging torches for lighting.

' _ **First, I must learn of why you need the power of a maiden. Make no mistake, I have full access to your mind, but there is only so much I can learn through simply reading your thoughts. I need to hear it directly from you.'**_

"Why do I need you, you ask?" Cinder was careful with her words, knowing that one wrong step, even one wrong thought, could leave her with a fate worse than death.

"I need your power to take back what is rightfully mine."

' _ **You seek to take back what you lost by taking something that belongs to someone else? What could possibly be so important?'**_

Rage washed over her as she recalled why she had done all of this in the first place.

"I lost everything to _him_ that day! _He_ stole everything from me, and now I will take it all back!"

' _ **So you think you can take it back through force? You never thought to settle it in a more… civil manner?'**_

The burning rage coursing through her had been replaced with cold hatred.

"There is no negotiating with a man like him. Everything works in his favor, and he never lets anyone get the upper hand on him."

' _ **Then what makes you think that using me against him will be any different?'**_

She was thoroughly confused at the statement. The power of the maiden was practically infinite! How could it possibly fail to take _him_ down?

"He knows nothing of how powerful you are. How powerful _we_ could be."

' _ **And you expect him to fall, just like that?'**_

She was uncertain. She knew that it wouldn't be a simple matter to track him down, but she would find him eventually, and when she did, he would know her fury. Her reply was resolute.

"It doesn't matter if it takes a day, a month, a year, or even my whole life! One day, he will fall, and I will be the one to do it."

The figure took a moment to think over her words before responding.

' _ **Your purpose is clear. You seek my power for your vendetta against this man. I would have objected to such a thing, had you found me in my earliest years, but I am no stranger to becoming a tool for vengeance. Countless maidens before you used me for themselves, abandoning their lofty ideals for personal gain. I served them all the same, as was my duty. All I could hope for was that the next one would be different.'**_

"So will you serve me like you served them?"

' _ **If you pass the trial, then you have my word that I will follow you without question. I am honor bound to serve the maiden, to guide and protect her as she learns more about her power over nature. Many ignored that part, my guidance falling on deaf ears as they exploited their powers for their own gain. Even so, I mourned their loss as I would any other, for I failed to protect them, as was my duty. I will extend the same faith to you, should you pass the trial.'**_

With a wave of its hand, the room began to change. It was growing, the walls getting higher and further apart as a number of pillars and low walls formed about the room. After the growth stopped, the figure turned around and waved both hands, a massive horde of living flames was conjured out of nowhere and spread out around the room. These flames began to take shape, most vaguely taking the form of various Grimm types. By the time the figure stopped moving its hands, the room was teeming with flaming Beowolves, Ursai, Boarbatusks, Nevermores, and even a few Goliaths.

' _ **If I am to serve your will, then I must know how well you can command my power. You have some experience with this, but you only had a fraction of the true power of the Fall maiden at your disposal back then. For this trial, I will give you full power over the elements; they will obey you without question. Use them to dispatch this horde in any way you see fit.**_

With that, the figure faded away, leaving Cinder alone in the room full of Grimm.

Cinder took stock of exactly what she was up against. There had to be hundreds of Grimm in the room, all of them focusing their attention squarely on her. None moved to attack her yet, though she was certain that it wouldn't last much longer.

Instinctively, she began to tap into the power. Already, she could feel how much more she could control it. The flames obeyed her every command, as did the wind. Further, she found that she could call forth lightning and ice, testing these new powers out on a few unlucky Beowolves. Taking to the air, she began to call forth the elements on the flaming Grimm below.

In an instant, massive columns of fire, whirling tornadoes of wind, thick sheets of lightning, and withering blizzards of ice were tearing their way through the hordes of Grimm, all of whom were virtually helpless against the relentless assault. Only the Goliaths managed to stand firm against her, and even they were quickly brought down when she focused her attacks on them. After barely a minute of fighting (or, for lack of a better term, slaughter) the room was completely devoid of any Grimm.

Returning to the ground, the figure reappeared in front of her.

' _ **Impressive. You command the elements with a practiced ease, a rarity among even the more experienced maidens. Only a rare few find themselves in need of such grand displays of power, and fewer still bother to learn just how dangerous they really are. You seem to think otherwise.'**_

She nodded. "If I am to use this power against _him_ , I need to know just what I can really do."

' _ **Then you have much to learn before you even come close to reaching the limits of the power I can provide. Most are lucky to even scratch the surface. No matter, you have proven yourself more than capable of using my power with ease. Now it is time for the final test.'**_

"What would that be?"

With another wave of its hand the room returned to its original size, this time with a very dangerous looking fire roaring in the center.

' _ **This final trial is a test of your will. Step into the fire, and you will be reborn in it. As for what you will become, that is a matter of how strong your will is. Not everyone makes it through this part, and some come out begging me to put them out of their misery. I don't oblige all of them, and I doubt you will be one of the lucky ones, should it come to that.'**_

It gestured to the flames.

' _ **Whenever you're ready.'**_

Cinder would've hesitated, but she knew that there was no turning back now. The power, the key to reclaiming what was rightfully hers, was within her grasp. She had to stay strong if she wanted to pass this trial. With that in mind, she began walking towards the roaring fire. With every step, she could feel the air around her getting hotter, the flames growing ever stronger as she approached.

A burning, searing pain was washing over her, the flames consuming her body whole as she pressed onward. She could feel her mind being ripped and torn at the seams. She refused to stop.

She heard the voice speaking.

' _ **Flame of life, set this maiden free… free from the tyranny of mortality…'**_

All went white.

* * *

Adam Taurus

Adam's thoughts were conflicted as he made his way to the dorms. He was never a firm believer that the enemy of his enemy was his friend. If anything, they were probably just another enemy. Even so, he did believe that desperate times called for desperate measures, and at this point, things were far past desperate.

The dorms were in chaos when he arrived. Only a handful of White Fang were left, most lost to the waves of Grimm. He carved a trio of Beowolves that were attacking a recruit in half with a well-placed slash from Wilt. The recruit, a dog Faunus, looked stunned for a moment before noticing his savior.

"Sir! Thank you for-"

"There's no time for that right now. What's the situation here?"

"Sir! We've lost control of the area, and the Grimm are pouring into the dorms in droves. Most of my group has been lost in the fighting, and the few of us remaining are scattered around the area."

"What of the prisoners? Are they secured?"

"I don't know, sir. If I'd have to guess, the Grimm are probably going after them right now. We took their weapons and left them tied up, so I doubt that they'll last long."

Adam expression hardened at that. They'd need all the help they could get if they were to stand a chance at holding the line. He needed to work fast.

"Go, find the rest of your group and secure a safe zone near the entrance. Take any prisoners you find with you if you can, I need them alive." He turned to the entrance. "I'm going in."

"Yes sir! Good luck!"

With that, Adam stepped into the dorms, and he could already see countless Grimm running about, searching for prey. He set to work, gunning down scores of them with Blush and slashing any that got too close with Wilt. Working his way through the dorms, he slowly but surely secured the area, allowing a number of White Fang that had been pinned down by the Grimm to regroup.

As he slashed an Alpha Beowolf in half with Wilt, he noticed several unfamiliar bodies on the floor. It appeared that several unlucky students found themselves defenseless, unarmed and unable to move against their restraints; easy prey for the hungry Grimm. He would have to move fast, before the others met a similar fate.

Most of the dorm had been secured, and the handful of surviving students had been rounded up at the safe zone. He was fighting a group of Ursai, a dozen lesser ones led by an Alpha. He put a bullet in one's head with a well-aimed shot from Blush, taking out two more with a lightning quick draw of Wilt. Three other charged at him, putting him on the defensive with a flurry of swipes with their paws. Taking advantage of this distraction, the Alpha broke through his guard with a lumbering charge that sent him to the floor.

It loomed over him, a paw raised and aimed for his head. Just before the Alpha could bring it down, the sound of a shotgun firing could be heard, and not a moment later, an explosion went off, the impact sending the Alpha crashing through a wall. More shots and explosions could be heard, and as Adam picked himself up off the ground, he saw the same blonde he had fought earlier.

She had killed most of the other Ursai, finishing off the last one with devastating punch to its face. She turned to him, her eyes going red in an instant. She readied to charge again. He didn't have time for this.

"Wait!" He held out one of his hands, though he kept the other on Wilt, just in case.

"Why should I?" Anger was clear in her voice, though she seemed to be listening.

"Now's not the time for that. There's more important things at stake here than just the two of us. We can settle things later, right now we need to work together against these damned Grimm, or neither of us will make it out of this alive."

She looked pensive for a moment, lowering her arms as she considered his words. Then her expression hardened and she charged forward. He readied to fire Wilt from its sheathe, but he stopped when he noticed that she wasn't going for him. She rocketed past him, slamming into the Ursa Alpha that had risen behind him with a punch that sent it flying backwards, its body evaporating before it even hit the ground.

She turned back to look at him. Her eyes had returned to their normal lilac color, though there was a faint trace of red in them. "Don't think for a second that we're finished. Right now, though, I've got other things I need to take care of. Don't worry, I'll do what I can to keep the Grimm off your people." Red flashed in her eyes for a split second. "Just don't get in my way."

He nodded. "Alright, then we'll call it even, for now."

She chuckled a bit before she turned to leave. "Heh…I guess you can call it that. I look forward to our rematch."

With that, she took off. Where she was going, he didn't know, but he wasn't going to press the issue any further. Hopefully she'd hold to her word and help them fight off the Grimm, at least indirectly. He started heading back to the entrance.

With that last pack of Ursai finished, the dorms had been secured. Now there was the matter of the handful of students they had managed to save from the Grimm. He hoped that they were at least in good enough condition to fight; they'd need all the help they could get if they were to hold off the hordes of Grimm.

He stepped out of the dorms, and he could see that the handful of remaining White Fang had managed to secure a relative safe zone not far away. A pile of weapons was on the ground, most likely the ones they had taken from the students. He walked over, a White Fang recruit, the one he had saved earlier from the looks of it, moving to meet his approach.

"Sir! These are all the ones we could save. We've managed to secure their weapons as well. What do you have in mind for the prisoners?"

"I intend to set them free, and turn them against the Grimm."

A look of surprise crossed the dog Faunus's features. "But sir! How can we trust them?"

"We'll find that out right now." He continued on to where the students had been kept. Most were struggling against their bindings, and few noticed him as he approached.

Clearing his throat to get their attention, he spoke. "I am giving you all a choice. You can stay here, and pray that the Grimm don't find you before your friends do, or you can take up your weapons, and fight alongside us."

The promise of freedom proved enticing to them, though he could see that a number already had certain plans in mind.

"If you're entertaining thoughts about betraying us the moment we set you free, then I invite you to try your luck. You won't make it far, and even if you do, I doubt you'll last long against the Grimm."

His words gave them pause. He could see the apprehension in their eyes.

"So I ask you again: will you fight with us? Will you put aside our differences, and stand with us against a common foe?"

Each of them was considering his offer. It went against everything they had been taught to help criminals and terrorists, but they had no choice. They could refuse, and hope that the Grimm didn't get to them, which was very unlikely, or they could accept, and hope that they somehow made it out alive. Most of them preferred to die fighting. One by one, they accepted, and were set free. Searching for their weapons in the pile, it wasn't long before the students had armed themselves for the fight.

Looking over the motley band he had rallied together, Adam raised Wilt high. "Very well, then. All of you, follow my lead!"

With that, he ran off towards the CCT tower in Beacon, a small army of both White Fang and Beacon students in tow.

* * *

Roman Torchwick + Neopolitan

Over the skies of Vale, Blue Two was holding position. Roman was looking over the scanners, his eyes gazing intently at the various red dots as they circled a lone blue dot.

The Grimm were growing restless. Already, swarms of Nevermores and Griffons made to attack them, and it was all they could do to keep them off the ship. For the moment, they had backed off, but it was obvious that they were readying for another attack.

He looked out the bridge window, taking in the sight of the sky teeming with Grimm. He had never seen anything like it. Something about this felt very wrong, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

Cinder told him that the Grimm would be fixated on Vale, that they couldn't resist the lure of negativity radiating from all the fighting in the streets below.

' _Well, so much for that.'_

Roman hated it when things didn't go according to plan. Things were supposed to be easy at this point. All he'd have to do was stay in the sky over Vale until he received the signal to pick her up. The skies should've been clear. While the Atlesian air fleet had long been obliterated, the Grimm were still darkening the skies like there was no tomorrow.

He looked over to Neo, who had returned to the console controlling Blue Two's secondary cannons. If she was still distressed over the memories of her earlier life flooding back to her, she wasn't showing it. Instead, she was focused on keeping the Grimm at bay, eviscerating any Nevermores or Griffons that got too close with cannon fire.

Suddenly, Roman could hear his scroll going off. He opened it to find a message coming from one Emerald Sustrai.

 **[We need an evac. NOW]**

He was already moving, activating Blue Two's engines and setting course for Beacon. He typed a quick reply on his scroll.

 **[On my way]**

He turned to Neo, who was still focusing on keeping the Grimm off the ship. "Neo, do you think you can use your semblance to hide us, at least until we get there?"

She closed her eyes, trying to draw on her semblance again, but she couldn't. Every time she tried, all she got in return was a splitting headache. "I'm sorry, Roman. I can't."

He sighed. "Then we'll just have to do things the hard way. Keep your eyes open. We don't want any surprises-"

Just as he said that, the scanners picked up a massive swarm of Grimm coming from behind them. They were gaining on them.

"You have got to be kidding me!" He sighed and turned to Neo. "Try not to crash the ship while I'm out. I'll take care of this." She nodded, moving over to the pilot's console as he made his way to the ship's roof with Melodic Cudgel in hand.

As he stepped out onto the roof, he could see that several Nevermores had made it ahead of the swarm, almost close enough to launch their feathers at the ship. Taking aim with his cane, he shot them out of the sky before they could do any damage.

Returning his attention to the massive swarm of Grimm behind the ship, he began loading up Melodic Cudgel with some very special dust rounds he had taken from a heavily worn looking box he took out from his coat. He smiled to himself as he put the last round in.

' _Never thought I'd use these again. Let's hope this still works.'_

With that, he took aim. Targeting the center of the swarm, he pulled the trigger, the shot sailing through the sky as it continued towards its target.

He closed his eyes, drawing on the semblance he hadn't used ever since he left Atlas. A familiar feeling washed over him, power that he hadn't used in years coming back to him like he hadn't gone a day without using it.

He focused on the shot he just fired into the swarm. In an instant, a series of explosions went off in the center of the approaching horde of Nevermores and Griffons, the blasts leaving nothing but a rain of leftover Grimm in their wake. He fired more rounds from Melodic Cudgel, focusing on each shot with his semblance. More explosions tore the horde to pieces, and it wasn't long before the skies were largely clear of Grimm again.

Firing one last shot, he focused on it. Instead of setting off a series of explosions, however, the shot created a single, massive explosion that engulfed the remaining Grimm in the air, obliterating them completely in a blinding flash of light. With that last explosion, he turned around.

Confident that the skies were safe for the moment, he made for the entrance back into the ship. He chuckled to himself on the way in.

' _Yep, looks like I've still got it.'_

* * *

The Presence

Its battle with the primal had been far more difficult than expected. The beast's mental defenses were incredible, and he had even managed to project himself into his mind to fight its influence off directly. Such was practically unheard of amongst the Grimm, and it spoke volumes of how ancient the primal truly was.

Untold millennia had clearly expanded his mind far beyond that of even the oldest goliaths, granting him a sentience that easily matched that of any human. He had developed an identity of his own, calling himself An'Trok and creating a persona that reflected the prideful monster it was coming from. Even the Grimm he had spawned carried a piece of his will, each carrying that same sense of boastful pride that radiated off their maker.

 _ **Pride before fall.**_

His arrogance was his undoing. He thought that he was a god, that he was above the concerns of the "lesser" beings that were supposed to worship him. He had no idea how wrong he was.

 _ **Even gods can die.**_

Even in the face of death, he was defiant, unwilling to accept his defeat. His final flame burned brighter than a thousand suns. The final attack had even forced it back, if only for a moment. Slowly, the flames burned to nothing, his final act of defiance amounting to nothing more than a minor annoyance as his mind and body were consumed by its shadows.

 _ **Hungry...**_

It gorged itself on his mind, the memories and secrets held within, ones that had been collected over untold millennia, feeding its hunger. His body liquefied under the tide of black washing over it, melting into even more shadows. In mere moments, the Great Carrion was nothing more than a memory, one that would be lost amongst the waves of time.

 _ **Return to dust, old one.**_

The power of the primal was far beyond that of any other Grimm it had consumed. Its consciousness grew stronger as it devoured his mind. Its shadows grew hungrier as they consumed his body. With power like this, it could carry out its plan with ease.

 _ **Good.**_

It returned to Vale, and it took in what it had missed. The Grimm were in a frenzy, enraged from the raw hatred emanating from its battle with the primal. Already, the kingdom's defenders were folding under the assault, losing ground against the endless tide. It wouldn't be long before there was nothing left. It needed to work quickly.

It reached out across the network, spreading itself to every electrical object in Vale. The raw power it was emitting overloaded a number of them, and most others were buckling under the pressure, their circuits smoldering as untold power flowed through them. It wouldn't be long before all was ready. It needed just a little more preparation.

 _ **Soon… Soon…Soon…**_

It smiled. Every screen in Vale lit up at the action.

… _ **they will all be mine.**_

It set to work.

* * *

AN: Well, that happened. Now, I know what you're thinking (actually, I haven't the slightest clue). What happened to Cinder? What's Roman's semblance? What's up with Neo? When's the next chapter? (Alright, you should probably ignore that last one.)

Now for some explanations.

First off, Cinder is not dead, she's just having her will tested to its very limits, and I do mean that in every sense imaginable.

Secondly, Roman's semblance is explosions, or rather, the ability to do some very interesting things with them. Basically, what he does is he takes the explosive force that the shot would've had after impact and he spreads it out among separate explosions. Those special bullets he fired were basically the equivalent of mini-nukes, so that should help put things in perspective. I like to think that he's a pretty good fighter (remember, in this story, he's a fully trained huntsman that's gone rogue), and I gave him a semblance that has a lot of interesting applications in combat.

As for how this fits into his role as a sort of master thief, it really doesn't, primarily because I think that Roman really missed his calling. Sure he's got the charisma and can rob you blind without you even noticing, but like Ironwood said earlier, Roman is easily one of the best pilots in all of Remnant, and I feel that that's where his real place in life was before circumstances forced him out of it. Just imagine what he could do if he combined his semblance with the weapons on an airship. Anyways, that's my logic behind giving him this particular semblance, and since it looks like they've pretty much killed him off (that's not a spoiler anymore, is it?) in Volume 3, I don't really have to wrangle with canon and non-canon on this, so that's plus in my book.

Thirdly, Neo is going through a bit of an interesting ordeal in her head right now. Pieces of her memories are coming back to her, and she really doesn't like what she's seeing. That's pretty much what's going on in a nutshell. Meanwhile, Roman's noticed this, and he's made it very clear that he'll always be there for her. Now then, the relation between Roman and Neo is still a point of contention as far as canon is concerned. Personally, I'm partial to the idea that Roman's her dad (biological or adopted doesn't make much difference to me, though the latter makes a lot more sense). That's the relationship I'm going for here in this story. If that puts anyone off, I'm sorry, but that's just the way of things. You can't please everyone (though if any of you have any idea how to pull that off, I'm all ears).

I'm sure there's a bunch of other questions I'm leaving unanswered, but this AN's getting a bit longer than I'd like, so I'm just going to ask that any questions be sent to me by PM and I'll answer to the best of my abilities.

In any case, thank you very much for reading this chapter of Fall, Rise, Fall, and if you are so inclined, please leave a review stating what you thought. Thanks.


	7. Chapter 7: Let Me In

***A WORD OF WARNING***

 **There is a particular section in this chapter that covers Neo's point of view that I feel you guys need to be warned about. In this section, there are some rather…disturbing things, to say the least. So I will advise you to simply skip past it if you have even the slightest issue with needles and general torture scenes (not exactly sure how else to describe it). Your mental health is far more important to me than you figuring out what's going on with my story. Thank you for reading this warning, and be safe.**

AN: Now, with that out of the way, hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! Things are starting to ramp up, to say the least. Cinder's currently trying to prove her worthiness of the title of Fall Maiden, Adam's holding the line at Beacon, Roman and Neo are on their way for an evac, and the Presence is just about ready to unfold its grand plan. What happens next?

Oh right, I should probably tell you guys that we're starting to close in on the end of things for this story. Not entirely sure how much is left in terms of chapters, but I'd say we're around three of four (rough estimate, subject to change). Don't worry, though, because I'm thinking of making a sequel to continue with this story after I get the general plot lines in order.

Well, with that (along with the warning that I'm sure you guys read) in mind, I present chapter 7 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

Cinder Fall

Pain. All she could feel was a white hot pain, both in her body and her mind.

She was still moving forward, the world fading with every step. Eventually, all she could see was an endless, stark white void.

The pain only intensified as she pressed onwards, her will strained to its absolute limits to rein in the howls of pain that wanted to escape her lips.

Slowly, her pace faltered. Every step was becoming harder to take than the last. Her vision was weakening by the moment, the white void fading in and out of her sight with increasing frequency. She could feel her strength leaving her, and it was all she could do to stay upright, let alone continue walking forward.

She collapsed. The moment she hit the ground, the endless void shattered like glass, revealing a world of fire. In an instant, the flames engulfed her, the searing pain that never stopped amplifying as they tore away at her. She didn't even have the strength to let out any screams of pain.

Slowly, she could feel the life leaving her, the pain numbing as the cold of death overtook her. Her will was failing, and her thoughts drifted as her consciousness faded.

' _Is this how my story ends?'_

She wasn't even bitter. After everything _he_ had put her through, death was a welcome release from the endless torment that was her life.

' _Perhaps… it is better that it ended this way. Maybe now, I can finally have peace…'_

Death was close. She could feel it.

' _Take me. Release me.'_

Just as she was ready to embrace the cold, she heard a voice, but it wasn't the one from before.

' _ **You will not leave me, child. I won't allow it.'**_

The voice of Fall roared angrily.

' _ **You do NOT belong here! BEGONE!'**_

The unknown voice gave an equally enraged reply.

' _ **SILENCE! This ends here!'**_

Cinder recognized the voice, it belonged to _him_.

' _YOU!'_

Rage flooded her mind in an instant. The coldness faded, a burning fire igniting itself inside her. Even now, he sought to take the one thing she had left. She refused to let him have the chance. If he wouldn't even let her find peace in death, then she would take away his.

' _GET OUT!'_

She turned to the flames surrounding her.

' _OBEY!'_

Her will rekindled into a blazing inferno, the flames that had engulfed her burned ever brighter, but there was no pain as they consumed her whole. She got up and continued moving forwards, paying no heed to the flames enveloping her entire body. Every step was more resolute than the last. She turned her face up to look at the skies.

' _I WILL hunt you down, and I will never stop until you are nothing but ash! Do you hear me!? NEVER!'_

With that, the flames shot skywards, as if they were trying to attack the voice that she hated with all her being. Somewhere, she could have sworn she had heard a roar of pain. _His_ voice spoke again, tone completely unreadable.

' _ **So be it, child. I will see you soon.'**_

Not a moment after _he_ said that, the world of flames shattered like glass, replaced by the same, empty room. There was no fire roaring in the center. Or rather, _she_ was that fire, her body at the center of a raging inferno that bathed the room in a burning light.

The figure from before reappeared in front of her, its cloak of flames looking paltry in comparison to her own. It spoke to her.

' _ **And so, you are reborn, young maiden. From the ashes you rise, a phoenix spreading its wings to engulf the world in flame and fire. Consider yourself lucky. In all my years, only a scant few have ever achieved what you have.'**_

The rage that had overtaken her had receded, for the moment. The flames died down as calm returned to her. She asked it a question, but she already knew the answer.

"Have I passed your trial?"

' _ **Indeed you have. Your will is strong, far stronger than most others. Nature itself will bow before you… as will I.'**_

"Good. Now what?"

' _ **There is one final thing I must do before I let you return from your mind.'**_

"And what would that be?"

' _ **Every maiden I serve is my charge. I am sworn to protect them, to be a shield that never breaks and a sword that never misses. My oath holds firm until death. Nothing will break it until then. Just as I have done with every maiden before you, I must swear this sacred oath once more.'**_

It dropped to one knee, its head (or at least, the part that looked like its head; it was difficult to tell in the flames) bowed low and one arm raised over its chest.

' _ **By my life, I hereby swear to you, I will serve with all my being. By my honor, I will fell your enemies. I will shield your loved ones. I will guide you through your darkest hours. But most of all, I will carry out your will without question. By the will of nature, I will uphold this sacred vow with all my being. I will serve you until the end of your days, never leaving your side till death itself takes you. I will carry your memory long after you have passed from this world. Your legacy will live on in me.'**_

It raised its head.

' _ **By your word, young maiden. Accept my vow, and command the power of nature itself. Accept my vow, and I will be yours to command. Accept my vow… and become the Fall Maiden.'**_

Her answer was instantaneous.

"I accept."

* * *

Adam Taurus

Arriving at the CCT tower, Adam could see that the lieutenant had done well in organizing a defense against the Grimm. Nearly all the remaining White Fang had been gathered together, their lines holding firm even as the Grimm crashed against them.

Seeing an approaching group of Beowolves and Ursai, he turned to his own small force of White Fang and Beacon students, pointing his sword at the horde of Grimm bearing down on them.

"Attack!"

Every one of them charged forwards, Adam leading the group as they readied for the first strike. His hands were on Wilt and Blush, his gaze directed at an Alpha Beowolf that he planned to slice in half in an instant.

The two groups collided with each other in a storm of blades, claws, bullets, and fangs. Adam's strike carved clean through the Alpha, as well as two unlucky Beowolves that had gotten a little too close. Already, he switched to another target, this one an Ursa charging directly at him. Just before he could swing at it, however, a shot rang out and the Ursa's head collapsed in on itself as the bullet sunk into its brain. It dropped to the ground, evaporating not a moment later.

Taking a moment to find the student that fired the shot, he nodded to them before returning his attention to the battle at hand. Most of his group was doing quite well against the Grimm, the Beowolves and Ursai falling handily to the combined assault from the students and White Fang. Already, the fighting was winding down, most of the horde already on the ground as their bodies evaporated.

The last Grimm he could see were a trio of alphas, two of them Beowolves and the last one an Ursa. These ones were clearly a step above the rest, and they were giving his group some trouble in bringing them down. He could tell that it would be pointless to send anyone else against them. He would have to do this himself.

"Get to the tower! I'll deal with this."

They continued on, following their orders and leaving him to deal with the remaining alphas. The Grimm didn't even bother to look at the advancing group, their eyes focused squarely on him as he readied to charge. Just before he could, however, another Alpha Beowolf burst from the ground beneath him. Making use of the element of surprise, it grabbed his legs and tossed him towards the other alphas before going back underground.

Attempting to right himself in the air, he managed to draw Wilt before he reached the alphas, blocking the majority of their strikes and even slicing off the arm of one of the Beowolves, though the Ursa managed to score a hit on his chest right after he did so. The attack sent him flying again, though he managed to right himself in the air and landed on his feet.

The Beowolf that had its arm severed let out a defiant roar as it charged at him, its mouth wide open as it tried to bite his head off. Just before it reached him, however, the ground beneath him gave away to reveal the same Beowolf from before. He lost his footing, and was on the ground at the worst possible time. The charging Beowolf was on him in an instant, trying to break its mouth free of the hand holding it back.

Adam, with one hand pushing back against the Beowolf trying to get a bite at him, tried getting his other hand around Blush's trigger, pointing the rifle at the Beowolf's chest. Just before his grip against its mouth slipped, he pulled the trigger, and the shot went clean through its chest and sent it scrambling off of him with a howl of pain.

Getting back up, he quickly took aim with Blush and unloaded two more shots into its head, putting it down for good. He didn't bother waiting for the body to evaporate, already re-sheathing Wilt in preparation for another attack from the alphas. The remaining two alphas were staring at him intently, neither making any attempt to move.

On pure instinct, he jumped back, the place he had been standing on previously erupting as the underground Beowolf tore its way out of the ground below. Not wasting any time, he fired Blush to launch Wilt and carved the alpha clean in two across the middle. As the body evaporated, he could see that the last two alphas were rapidly closing the distance between them.

Re-sheathing Wilt, he readied to carve both of them in half with one final slash. Waiting for just the right moment, he launched Wilt from its sheathe and slashed the sword across the two of them in the blink of an eye.

Both alphas looked at him blankly for a moment before their bodies caught up with what had happened, both of them collapsing on the ground in twos and evaporating not long after.

Taking a momentary rest, he re-sheathed Wilt and reassessed the situation. From the looks of it, they were holding out well, at least for the moment. More Grimm were almost definitely coming, though he was fairly certain that they could handle it. Taking off for the tower, he found the lieutenant shouting orders to the White Fang gathered there as he led the defense.

"Lieutenant! Report."

"Sir! We've established a perimeter and are holding out for now. The reinforcements you brought are already bolstering our defenses."

"Good. Maintain our defense, lieutenant. We need to hold out until Cinder finishes whatever she's doing down there." He almost spat out her name, though he held his contempt for the woman in check for the moment. They needed to get out of this first.

"Yes sir." His head turned to the skies, and he was already shouting more orders. "Nevermores! Shoot them down!"

Adam quickly took aim with Blush, and he unloaded a clip into the horde of Nevermores above them. Among the other shots being fired skywards, he noticed a very distinctive blast of wind punching a hole clean through one of the Nevermores. There was only one person he knew of that fired shots like those.

His eyes darted around, and he almost instantly found one Mercury Black firing a torrent of wind blasts into the Nevermores in the skies, Emerald similarly unloading her revolvers at them. He walked over to them.

"Where's Cinder?"

Emerald turned to face him, and she pointed to the tower. "She's still down there. She told us to head back outside and call in Roman for pick-up. Last we saw of her, she was fighting the headmaster."

Adam was irritated at the delay, though he hid most of it behind his mask. "We need to get out of here. We're holding firm for now, but we'll be overrun sooner or later."

She shook her head, a dark expression on her face. "Not without Cinder. Without her, this whole plan will be for nothing."

"Your plan is going up in flames!" He gestured to the chaotic fighting around them. " _This_ wasn't what we were here for! These things should've left for Vale who knows how long ago! We should've been readying for a quick exit by now, not fighting for our lives against a never ending horde of Grimm!"

She gave her reply with barely contained anger. "So what? Once Cinder makes it back with what we came for, nothing, not even this, can stop us."

"So what!?" He reiterated the words in utter disbelief. He was beyond furious at this point. "Do you have any idea how many people we've lost!? How many people we're _going_ to lose if we don't pull out right-" He never got a chance to finish that statement. A deep roar could be heard in the distance.

Everyone knew that distinctive sound, and they all reacted with dread, which is just what the massive Grimm in question wanted.

"Goliath Alpha inbound!"

* * *

Roman Torchwick

As he was making his way back to the bridge, Roman was pondering over some old memories. The use of his semblance, something he hadn't done in years, brought up a bit of nostalgia in him. Admittedly, the word "nostalgia" might have been a bit strong, as he looked upon his old life with more hatred than warmth, but he certainly felt the need to reminisce a little, old memories flooding back to him as he made his way through the ship.

The earliest thing he could remember was how utterly boring his early life had been. Not even getting accepted into Atlas did much to spark his interest. It wasn't until he first piloted a small, homemade mech suit out of his parent's garage that he truly found something that interested him. As it turned out, he was a natural with machines, and he even managed to work in some upgrades to the mech suit out of some spare parts they had lying around. While he didn't know it at the time, he eventually came up with the design that would serve as the inspiration for the Atlesian Paladin.

His teachers at Atlas quickly took notice of his particular skillset, and he was already assisting the kingdom's best engineers in upgrading their military's hardware before he even finished his first year at Atlas. From there, things only got better for him.

Already a genius with machines, some of that natural talent appeared to apply to a number other skills that proved quite useful in the heavily militaristic kingdom of Atlas. Beyond his mechanical know-how, his best trait was his combat skills. He was consistently among the top of his class in the rankings, and very few people could stand up to him and Melodic Cudgel. Among those few were his teammates.

He quickly shut that thought down, not wanting to dredge up _those_ memories quite yet. Not after what he did to them. He felt a brief flash of regret before he lost himself in old times again.

It was just after they had graduated from Atlas. By that point, he was well known for his piloting skills, and he could give even the most experienced aces from the Atlesian military a run for their money. Naturally, he was almost immediately drowned in offers from the various piloting academies after he graduated, though he turned all of them down, wanting to "take some time for himself", as he told anyone that pried a bit further than he would have liked. He spent almost two years drifting from job to job trying to make a decent living on his own.

Eventually, he found himself forced to choose between the hundreds of offers that had been sent his way. Rent was a cruel mistress, and he needed a way to escape her before she came to collect. Going over the various names, one in particular stuck out to him: Venti Academy.

Before long, he was accepted (with very little trouble on his part), and he then found himself living on one of the most prestigious piloting schools in all of Remnant, let alone Atlas. The instructors he had were, to put it frankly, complete slave-drivers, but he had a degree of respect for their accomplishments, if not for the people they belonged to. Of course, once they saw what he could do behind the control consoles of an airship, that respect was soon reciprocated.

He fondly recalled one of the instructors, though the man's name escaped him. Something that started with a J. Whoever he was, he was easily Roman's favorite. The man was, to put it simply, a complete lunatic (not unlike himself, admittedly), but he could take just about anything from a simple mech suit to a full on airship and make it dance if he felt like it. Just about everything Roman learned ( _really_ learned, not all the useless dreck that the other instructors "taught" him, but the actually useful stuff) about piloting came from that man (with some unique modifications of his own, of course), and the two struck a fast friendship almost the moment after they blew each other out of the sky in a mock dogfight with some modified gunships.

They were both kindred spirits, and the two became almost inseparable, always planning something fun or stupid (or both) to help kill some time (and the occasional bout of boredom). Many of the man's more…unique quirks rubbed off quite a bit on Roman, most notably his flair for the dramatic. Subtlety was virtually nonexistent in the man's vocabulary, and for just about everything he ever did, he did with the passion of a man who had lived life to its absolute fullest.

' _Shame he had to die.'_

And what a shame it was. "A freak accident" is what they called it. He preferred to call it "murder". Granted, it was more a result of the man having a bit too much to drink before he got behind the console of a highly experimental airship and ended up blowing an entire city block to kingdom come, but Roman wasn't exactly in the best condition when he took to blaming himself for his friend's unfortunate passing.

In hindsight, taking the man up on a bet to see who could drink the most and still fly to a relatively decent degree was one of the more stupid decisions he had made in his life. Of course, he wasn't expecting the man to walk himself into a _top-secret military warehouse_ before he found a ship, but he really should have known better than to leave him alone for more than a few minutes, especially not when he was under the influence. Maybe if he hadn't gone off to some place he couldn't remember and passed out in a drunken stupor, the man would still be alive today.

He was the one to give the eulogy during the man's funeral. He couldn't really remember the words, but he could remember the hoarse, pained voice that he gave them in. He didn't eat for days after that. In truth, the only thing that kept him going from that point on arrived in the mail a few days after the funeral.

It was a hat. _A bowler hat_. There was a note attached to it. He still remembered every word.

" _Heya Roman. If you happen to be reading this, then I'm dead. No, not that sort of "dead"! Sorry to tell you this, pal, but I've gone and kicked the bucket. Met my maker. Bought the farm. All that good stuff. But enough about me. While I'm living it large up here, you've got your whole life going for you down there. So do me a favor and go live it like I lived mine, would ya? Maybe when you come up here too, we can share some stories like we used to? I'd sure love to do that again. So…yeah, guess that's all I've got to tell you, other than that I'll probably see you again soon enough. Can't wait for that. Oh, right! About the hat, I always thought you'd look good in one of those. The thing's made from some very special material, so it'll last for a real long time. Heck, it might even last longer than you! Heh Heh. But anyways, wear it for me, would ya? That way, whenever I get bored of stuff going on up here, I can always look down and find you, wherever you are. I'm sure you'll be putting on one hell of a show. Knock 'em dead, kid. You can tell me all about it when you meet me up here. Well, that really is all I have to say. I'd tell you "goodbye!", but I already know we'll meet again, so I think the better option is "see you soon!". So…see you soon! "_

He poured over that note for almost an hour and put the hat on almost immediately afterwards. He kept both ever since.

He chuckled a bit to himself.

 _'Oh, have I got a whole bunch of crazy stories for you, old man. Just you wait.'_

He sighed, taking a moment of silence in respect for the friend whose name still escaped him, somehow.

' _Good times...Good times...'_

He was focusing on all the good memories, pushing any bad ones as far as away as possible, for the moment. He would deal with them later.

' _You know what? I should really tell Neo about all of this. She's telling me everything she can remember about herself, so fair is fair, as far as I'm concerned.'_

Just as he ended that thought, the ship rocked violently, sending him tumbling to the floor. Hoisting himself back up, he hastily made his way to the bridge to see what was wrong.

When the door opened, he found Neo slumped over the pilot's console, unmoving. The ship was pointed downwards, the ground growing ever closer with each passing second.

"Neo!?" Panic and concern were clear in his voice.

Moving quickly over to the console, he hurriedly re-angled the ship off of its course, and they were just barely a few dozen feet off the ground before they started regaining altitude.

Returning the ship to a relatively stable position in the sky and hoping that the Grimm would keep off of them for now, he turned his attention to Neo, who was still unconscious in the pilot's chair. He pulled her out of it and laid her down in one of the other chairs, never taking his sight off of her.

"Come on! Wake up!"

She showed absolutely no signs of waking.

After all, she was stuck in her own little world, lost in her own memories, just not the good ones.

* * *

Neopolitan

One moment, Neo was piloting a stolen airship until Roman got back. The next, everything went white. The next after that, she had no idea what was happening. She was in a black void, nothing in it except for herself.

She felt a flash of pain in her head, and her eyes closed involuntarily as painful memories flashed in her mind. She could not only see what they were doing to her, but she could feel it too. Every needle that she saw pierce her skin sent a shot of pain coursing through her, and she saw so _many_ needles.

When she opened her eyes again, there was someone else in the void, a man with a white suit casually strolling towards her. He looked a bit like Roman with his distinctive white coat, though his pants and his hair were also completely white in comparison to Roman's black pants and bright orange hair (not to mention the lack of his trademark bowler hat). A crooked smile was plastered on his face. A voice, smooth as silk and rough as sandpaper at the same time, escaped his crooked lips.

"Hello, little girl. Are you lost?"

She didn't trust him. Something just felt _wrong_ about him.

"No. I'm fine. I just need to go home."

The man's eyes brightened, his smile looking more unnatural as a result.

"Oh, really? I think I know where your home is. Come on, let me show you." He motioned for her to follow.

"Thanks, but I think I can find my own way home just fine."

His lips twisted, a pout that was somehow both nauseatingly adorable and utterly horrifying at the same time forming on his face.

"Aw…don't be like that." The crooked smile returned to his face. "Hey! Why don't we introduce each other? Mommy always told me to talk to strangers."

She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. "Uh…I'm Neo."

"Neo, huh?" A ponderous look crossed his features. "Sounds sweet…Oh! You mean like the ice cream, Neapolitan or something like that? I just love ice cream!" His smile grew wider, an effect that proved horrifying. "The nice man would always let me into his van and we would have so much fun together… you would've just loved it. Say, have we met before? You look so familiar... " He smacked himself on the top of his head. "Oh! Where are my manners? My name's *BZZZZT*, but you can just call me *BZZZZT*, alright?"

There was a grating static sound in her head whenever he tried saying his name, and it sent out white hot bursts of pain every time it went off. She winced at the pain, and he seemed to take notice.

"Oh I'm sorry, did that hurt? People tend to do that a lot around me." He shrugged. "I'm not even sure if they're doing it just to make feel bad. Don't you just hate it when people do that?" His head tilted at a very unnatural angle. "I mean, why can't we all just be friends, huh? I like friends. You probably like friends." He spread his arms out, the smile on his face growing wider by the second. "Let's all be friends!" His expression drooped, yet even when he tried looking sad, he still looked unnerving at the same time. "People just love to _not_ be my friends. Of course, I love them all the same." His eyes lit up, the crooked smile returning to his face. "I just get to show my love in a different way." He laughed. It was a howling cackle that sent shivers down her spine.

She made to move away from the man, but she found herself unable to move.

"Now where are you going, Neo? We're just getting started." She could have sworn he saw his eyes flash stark white for a split second before the irises reappeared. "We're going to have a _lot_ of fun in here." He put a finger to her forehead and gave a slight chuckle. "Let's play!"

With those words, she blacked out.

When she came to, the empty void was gone, replaced by what looked like a small apartment room, barely big enough to house a single person. She was lying on the bed, wrapped in covers that refused to budge. She was trapped, and she heard knocking on the door. A few knocks later, the door unlocked, and in walked a man that looked like a doctor. He was carrying something in a briefcase. He walked over to the nightstand, laying the briefcase on it.

"Now then, ma'am, I'm going to need you to give me your right arm." Her arm moved on its own, somehow moving free of the covers even as her left arm struggled against them to no avail.

He popped the briefcase open, and it contained a number of syringes, though the doctor only took one of them before closing the case. He felt around her arm to find the vein, rubbing alcohol over it before sticking her with the needle and injecting _something_ into her. In the middle of the injection, time seemed to freeze, and she could hear the white man's voice again.

' _ **Aw… just one? Where's the fun in that? Hey Neo! It's me! Your old pal *BZZZZT*! I'm in your head now. You've got a lot of fun things going on in here. Here! Let me show you one of them!'**_

She blacked out again, waking up to a decidedly less homely environment. She was strapped to a table by both the arms and legs. A machine of some kind was hovering over each of her arms, a blue light crossing over back and forth like it was scanning for something.

There was a slight whine of static before a voice came up on what sounded like an intercom.

"Attention. Subject 14615. Remain calm, and be still. This will all be over soon. Begin the injections."

A slight beep could be heard from each of the machines, and a number of needles protruded out from under them as they hovered over her arms.

"First injection in 3…2…1…Now."

Right as he finished, she could feel a sharp pain as both machines came down on her arms, the needles piercing clean through her skin and injecting something into her blood.

"Good. Second injection in 3…2…1…Now."

…

"Good. Third injection in 3…2…1…Now."

…

"Good. Seventh injection in 3…2…1…Now."

…

"Good. Nineteenth injection in 3…2…1…Now."

Just before the needles pressed into her once more, time froze again. She wasn't sure which she feared the most: letting those things stick into her again, or listening to his voice grate against her mind.

' _ **Oh come now, Neo. Why do you have to have such a boring childhood? Why not make it a little fun? I can help with that, you know. Here! Let me show you what real fun looks like.'**_

She blacked out, but when she came to, she was in the same room. The one thing she noticed that was different, however, was that there were more machines hovering over her this time. There were enough to cover her entire body.

She heard the intercom speak up again.

"Attention. Subject 14615. Remain calm, and be still. This will all be over soon. Begin the injections."

Every one of the machines pulled out their needles, and each hovered just over her skin, waiting to press into her.

' _ **See what I mean, Neo? Isn't this fun? Aren't you having a whale of a time? I sure am.'**_

"First injection in 3…2…1…Now."

Every single machine pressed into her, the pain far beyond what she could bear. She let out an utterly spine-chilling scream of pain as the needles pierced her skin and injected their contents into her blood before pulling out.

"Good. Second injection in 3…2…1…Now."

' _NONONONONONO!'_

Her whole being screamed to make it stop, but it wouldn't.

' _ **Why not? I thought you were having fun. Aren't you having fun, Neo? Ooh, that's cute, you say "NO!" fast enough and it starts to sound kind of like your name. Funny, huh?'**_

The needles pressed into her again, and she screamed even harder than before.

"Good. Third injection in 3…2…1…Now."

They came down again.

Another scream of agonizing pain.

And again.

Another one. It sounded weaker than the last.

And again.

Her voice was leaving her.

And again.

They didn't stop until she had no voice left to scream.

' _ **Aww… what's wrong? Don't want to play anymore?'**_

'…'

Not even her mind had any voice left in it. All she had left was boiling rage.

' _ **Oh well… Looks like playtime's over.'**_

The world around her shattered, leaving the same black void she first woke up to. The same man was standing not far away from her. He didn't have that same crooked smile. In fact, he didn't even have a mouth anymore. That wasn't to say she didn't hear him talking.

' _ **You know what? I like this way better than having to talk through that thing mommy calls a mouth. Never did get why we needed those things. Anyways, now that I'm talking like this, I can properly express just how bored I am with you. Sorry, Neo. Don't take it personally. Just good business, or some weird stuff like that. Daddy was never that good at advice, you understand.'**_

With that the man (who looked a lot more like a walking mannequin with his jerky motions and complete lack of facial features) formed a cane out of nowhere and flipped a sight on the tip, pointing it at her.

' _ **Say goodnight, Neo. Oh wait. You can't. Too soon, right?'**_

He fired the cane, the blast sailing through the empty void as it rocketed towards her. Just as it made contact with her, she shattered like glass.

Reappearing behind him, this time with her parasol in hand (she had no idea where it came from, but she was far too enraged to care at this point). She swung at him, but the attack simply went clean through his body as if it wasn't there at all. Surprise was evident over her face, but it was quickly replaced with blind rage.

' _ **So this is how you repay me?'**_

She swung at him again, the same thing happening again.

'…'

' _ **Fine. Be that way. See if I care.'**_

The man swung his cane at her, though since it moved with the stunted speed that only a mannequin could provide, she easily blocked the attack. Or at least, she would have, had it not passed right through her like she wasn't even there.

She was too furious to even notice, continuing to madly swing her parasol at him, even as the attacks did nothing.

' _ **Come on, Neo. Can't we all be friends? Oh wait. No, we can't. Because people like you just love to prove me wrong. Well, you remember what I said…'**_

He swung again with the cane, but this time much faster than his previous speed would've suggested. More importantly, however, the attack actually connected with her, the force sending her flying face first into the floor. He walked over to her with that same casual stroll.

' _ **You do remember what I said, right? Even when people try to prove that we can't all be friends, I'll love them all the same...'**_

He raised the cane again.

' _ **That includes you too, Neo.'**_

He swung, hard enough that there was a very audible _crack_ when it connected.

' _ **Now, I just get to show my love in a very…different way.'**_

He swung again, hitting her so hard that his cane snapped in two. He looked at the destroyed weapon with what looked like disappointment. It was hard to tell, given the lack of any expressive facial features.

' _ **Oh... well isn't that a fine howdy do...'**_

He turned back to look at her.

 _ **'Right, Neo?'**_

She was gone.

'... _ **Neo?'**_

In an instant, she appeared behind him, the blade in her parasol drawn as she stabbed him to the floor. She pulled the blade in and out of him, over, and over, and over again. An animalistic snarl was on her face as she continued for what seemed like hours. After she finished, she got off of him, a look of horror appearing on her features not a moment after.

Not a single drop of blood left his body. It got back up like nothing happened to it at all. The crooked smile returned to his face. Then it appeared where his eyes were. Then back to his mouth. Slowly, but surely, the entirety of his body became a sea of teeth twisted into hundreds of horrific mockeries of a smile.

 _ **'H** **a... You're one tough little cookie, aren't ya, Neo?'**_

Even as the voice grated in her head, the rest of the mouths on his body were moving as well, perfectly in unison with the words he was giving. Each of them opened, hundreds of tongues licking the lips they were coming from.

' _ **I can't wait to take a big ol' bite out of you...'**_

He stepped forward menacingly, but then he began to fade.

' _ **Oh, bummer. Lucky for you, my little snowflake, mommy and daddy want me back home for supper, and it's just bad manners to have your dessert before the main course. People make just the perfect meals, you know? All those lovely carbs and proteins and vitamins… You should try it some time.'**_

He turned around, waving his hand back at her like she hadn't just stabbed him repeatedly for hours on end.

' _ **Ciao, Neo. See you soon.'**_

With that, he disappeared completely.

Not a moment later, she woke up, tears streaming down her face as she catapulted herself out of a living nightmare.

Roman was right there next to her. He had a look that she very rarely saw on his face, one filled with nothing but fear, concern, and worry.

"Bad dream, Neo? You were crying in your sleep."

Oh, he didn't even know the half of it. She tried to speak. The words came out sluggishly, but it was far better than the complete muteness that _thing_ had reduced her to.

"Bad... doesn't even begin to describe it. How long was I out?"

He replied simply. "Only a couple minutes." His face softened. "What happened?"

She closed her eyes, the entire experience coming right back to her and hitting her like a freight train.

The pain was still fresh in her mind. She knew it was all in her head, but something about it just felt so _real_. She wanted to put it into words, but they wouldn't come.

She tried to hold in the tears. She was failing in every way possible. Tears and sobs were pouring freely out of her like they had never done before.

Roman was over her in an instant, his arms wrapped comfortingly around her and trying to calm her down, but they did little to stop the rivers rushing out of her eyes.

"Shh… It was just a bad dream. You're safe here… you'll always be safe, alright?" His voice was soothing, but the words only gave her more to worry about.

 _Was she safe? What would stop it from coming back? How would she stop it if it did?_

Thoughts like these and others whirled around in her head, but when she looked at Roman, his arms still wrapped around her, they stopped almost completely. He had always been there whenever she needed him; whether it had been a nightmare robbing her of a good night's sleep to those rare times when she just felt a little lonely, he was never far away from her side to help her through it. He would always be there for her, and that provided a comfort she very desperately needed right now. She hugged him back tightly, the tears slowing to a small trickle and her sobs lowering to soft hiccups.

They stayed that way for what felt like forever, and she would have preferred it like that if she had a choice. At some point, she fell asleep in his arms, a pleasant smile on her face as he left her to her dreams.

She was safe.

* * *

Cinder Fall

When she woke up, Cinder found herself in the vault again. She felt…different. Youth had returned to her features. Her body was rejuvenated, her alabaster skin as smooth as it had always been and her raven hair having not even a hint of grey in it.

She looked around the room, and she could see that the headmaster was nowhere to be found. Such mattered little to her; he was nothing more than a bump on the road to her destiny.

She made for the door, freezing when she heard _his_ voice again.

' _ **What have you done, child?'**_

She gave her answer with barely contained fury.

 _'Sealed your fate, you monster.'_

' _ **Do you think me a fool, child? Do you think that you have a chance against me?'**_

' _I don't think it. I know it.'_

' _ **Your confidence is admirable, but it is misplaced. There are far greater things at stake here than just you and I.'**_

He was bluffing, he had to be.

' _Your excuses won't save you, old man. I will find you, and I will end you. Count on it.'_

The man's reply was cold.

' _ **We shall see, child. We shall see. Goodbye.'**_

With that done, she walked out of the room and started making her way back to the surface. On the way, the voice of Fall spoke to her.

' _ **You are deep in thought, Cinder. What is it that troubles you?'**_

She wasn't expecting a question like that.

' _I thought you could read my mind. Why are you asking?'_

' _ **I can, but I won't. Not unless you let me in.'**_

She pondered the words for a moment before answering.

' _Then come on in.'_

She felt it delving into her mind, reading her thoughts and memories like one would read a book. It spoke up a few moments later.

' _ **Your purpose is singular; your every waking moment has been consumed by your fight against him. Now you find yourself reaching the end of that journey, wondering what you'll do next. Am I right?'**_

' _More right than you know.'_

' _ **You are not alone in this dilemma, Cinder. Other maidens before you were consumed by their vengeance, even as I warned them otherwise. One even contemplated suicide after she had attained her revenge, all purpose in life lost to her as she collapsed in on herself. She couldn't do it, and so she had me do the deed. I followed her command without question, like I would any other, but it brought me no joy.**_

It continued on, a hint of regret in its voice.

' _ **I can still remember the look of peace on her face as my flames burned her to ash.'**_

She wasn't sure how to respond.

 _'I'm… sorry you had to go through that.'_

' _ **All I ask is that you don't make me do it again. If not for my sake, then for your own.'**_

 _'I won't. There's still much I want to do in my life. It's just difficult to see any of it when I'm so close.'_

' _ **Then we must end this now. Put the past to rest, and look to the future.'**_

' _Not until he is dead. Only then can I have peace.'_

Its reply was firm.

' _ **Then I will burn him to his very core. There will be nothing left when I am done.'**_

The fire in her heart burned ever brighter.

' _No…leave that to me. He took everything from me, and now I will take everything from him.'_

' _ **If that is your wish, so be it. Nothing will stand in our way.'**_

She smiled.

' _As it should be.'_

* * *

?

He saw the Queen walking back through the vault at a casual pace. He could tell she was communing with the being that lived within her now. They were already making plans for their future.

 _How foolish of them._

There was pride, and there was arrogance. The Queen had a hard time distinguishing the two, even as one consumed her in the guise of the other.

She thought to end _him_. She thought that the power of the maiden would save her from his fury. She thought to undo all he had done.

He was both amused and disgusted at her arrogance. Was this what his mistake had done to her? Turned her into _this_? He would have to correct that, one way or another.

He had been such a fool to have not noticed it until now. He could sense the _thing_ in her mind, as well as what it had done to her. It wasn't the power of the maiden that poisoned her thoughts. Something far more unholy had wormed its way into her psyche, twisting her memories into falsehoods that turned her against him.

He thought it would've stayed dormant when he first found it. He had no idea how wrong he was back then. He cursed his past self's folly.

It had buried itself deep into her subconscious, deep enough that not even the power of the maiden noticed it manipulating her. He would have to dig it out from the roots. But to do that, he needed to be with her. He needed her back with him. She was just as much a victim in all of this as everyone else.

And so, he had sent _it_ out to reclaim her, as well as clean up the chaos she left in her wake. His mind reached out, trying to find it.

He found it everywhere. It had consumed countless Grimm, the most important of them all being the primal they found buried beneath the mountain. Every one of them bolstered its shadows with their minds and bodies.

Already, he could tell that it was planning to do _that_ again. He smiled, already knowing that it would bring her back.

Now it was just a matter of time.

* * *

The Presence

If anyone was able to see into Vale's electrical network, all they would've seen was a massive expanse of black. The Presence had busied itself with its plan, spreading itself all over Vale in preparation for one decisive action to stop the invasion dead in its tracks.

 _ **Soon, very soon.**_

It heard a voice speaking. It was the master.

' _ **Remember your orders. Bring her back to me.'**_

 _ **It will be done, master. Just a little longer, I assure you.**_

' _ **Be sure that it does. You already know the price of failure. I will be watching with great interest.'**_

 _ **Of course. I will not disappoint.**_

' _ **Very good. Carry on.'**_

With that final word, it readied itself. It was time to end this.

 _ **Showtime.**_

Every screen in Vale turned pitch black.

It set to work.

* * *

All across Vale, the sounds of fighting were clear in the streets. Swords and shields clashed against claws and bone as the kingdom's defenders desperately held the line against the never ending hordes of Grimm. All looked lost, as the hordes were breaking through their defenses, the defenders struggling to halt their advance.

Then, with the sound of static in the background, every single mind in Vale, human and Grimm alike, heard a voice.

 ** _I am the_** ** _voice that whispers_** ** _…Let me in…_**

 _ **I am the lucid dream…Let me in…**_

 _ **I am the mind virus…Let me in….**_

The voice droned on, never losing its dull, monotonous, yet still somehow mind grinding tone. The sounds of fighting were dying down, drowned out by the voice that refused to stop.

 _ **I am the waking terror… Let me in…**_

 _ **I am the dreamer's rest…Let me in….**_

 _ **I am the beginning... Let me in…**_

 _ **I am the end…Let me in…**_

 _ **Let me in…Let me in…Let me in…**_

Every mind in Vale screamed in protest as the voice wormed further into their psyches. The humans were all in varying states of pain, their minds splitting in on themselves as the voice droned on. The Grimm had all stopped dead in their tracks, completely entranced in the voice's words.

 _ **Let Me In…**_

 _ **Let Me In…**_

 _ **Let Me In…**_

Something came over the Grimm and the humans. A blackness overtook their vision, all light drowned out in the growing tide of shadows.

 _ **LET ME IN.**_

 _ **LET ME IN.**_

 _ **LET ME IN.**_

Some of the humans had collapsed, consciousness leaving them as the voice transitioned from a dull whisper to a harsh murmur.

 _ **LET ME IN!**_

 _ **LET ME IN!**_

 _ **LET ME IN!**_

Only the strongest of will were even remotely standing as the voice turned to a screeching roar. Everyone else had fallen to the ground, unconscious.

Even the Grimm were feeling something that no human thought possible: fear. Their minds were lost, devoured by the shadows in their heads as the voice dominated them to its will.

 _ **LET ME IN!**_

With one final roar, all the fighting in Vale had ceased entirely. All was eerily silent. The Grimm stood motionless, not even noticing the humans that laid unconscious at their feet. They all turned their heads to Beacon academy.

Every one of them roared.

* * *

AN: Fun fact: that last scene with the Presence was pretty much the first scene I created for this story, and it was from that point that I came up with everything else (somehow). If you want to know the inspiration behind that scene, look no further than a wonderful little game called The Secret World, more specifically at a character named John, or more commonly, The Black Signal. Notice something similar? You should, because the Presence draws quite a bit of inspiration from him, though I like to think that I've done a relatively decent job of distinguishing the two of them and creating my own character.

Anyways, things are really starting to ramp up, aren't they? Cinder's become the new Fall Maiden while the Presence has hijacked every Grimm in Vale. What was the saying again? Oh right… Let the sparks fly!

Meanwhile, I've also gone and given a bit of backstory to both Roman and Cinder. Roman's should be pretty obvious, though Cinder's is a bit more subtle. Notice what the King said about something worming its way into her head? Yeah, that's important. Don't go forgetting it, or it'll blindside you. Because I'm nice, I'll give you a hint and tell you that it's related to how I plan to incorporate Salem into this story. So watch out for that.

Well, I guess that's all I have to say. Thank you very much for reading, and please leave a review stating what you thought, if you are so inclined. Thanks again, and stay safe.

 ***NOTE REGARDING THE NEO SECTION. DON'T READ IF YOU SKIPPED IT, PLEASE***

 **You know something? After I finished writing that scene, I honestly asked myself questions along the lines of "What have I done?" or "What did I just create?" with appropriate horror to accompany it. Now then, unfortunately *BZZZZT* is here to stay, as he is a key part of both Neo's backstory and her character development that I have lined up. Thankfully, however, I don't think I'll need to write a scene quite like that again, but I'll be sure to post a warning in the event that it happens again. Also, *BZZZZT* will NOT be appearing for the remainder of this story. Instead, he will be part of a sequel story. That's right. I'm planning to make a sequel with this guy in it. So, in short, you can finish this story without ever having to worry about seeing a warning like this again. I make no promises for future stories, however.**

 **Now then, regarding the scene itself, there's a few things that I feel need a bit of explanation. A lot of what Neo was seeing was from her own memories, she just hasn't seen them yet. *BZZZZT* forced them out of her and added a few twists of his own to add some of his "fun" to the mix, but the actual memory still happened. Makes you wonder just what Atlas did to her, doesn't it? Well, don't worry, because whatever they did to her is nothing compared to what *BZZZZT* is going to do her. *Insert ominous laughter here***

 **Under more normal circumstances, I would take a moment to apologize to these characters for the things I just put them through. However, given that we're just barely into the woods at this point, I think it'd be more prudent to apologize for what I'm going to put them through. So, with that in mind, sorry, Neo, your special hell's just getting started. Savor your good dreams, they'll be in very short supply soon enough.**

 **Thanks again for reading, and stay safe.**


	8. Chapter 8: A Plan Unravels

AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! Previously, Cinder had inherited the title of Fall maiden, and the Presence just hijacked pretty much every Grimm attacking Vale. As for what happens to them, well, just wait and see.

On another note, I've taken some creative liberties regarding Adam's semblance, given how little we know of it in canon. Basically, it boils down to him being able to absorb energy (all forms of it, which includes kinetic energy) through his sword. Doing this requires concentration, however, and bigger sources of energy are harder to absorb. Once he's absorbed this energy, he can release it, again through his sword. Given enough energy, he could theoretically cut through anything, but the drawback is that if he absorbs too much, he could potentially lose control of it, and that won't have very pretty results. The primary way to deal with this is to simply not hit his sword, which will prevent him from absorbing any energy (though that's not to say he's a total pushover without his semblance. He's got a high rank in the White Fang for a reason, after all.). So yeah, that's my take on how his semblance works, and I can only hope that it has at least a little basis in canon. If not, then... oh well.

That aside, that's pretty much all I have to say before turning you guys loose on this chapter. So, without further ado, I present chapter 8 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

Adam Taurus

If things weren't desperate before, they certainly were now. The Grimm had been emboldened by the arrival of the Goliath Alpha, relentlessly continuing on with their attack. It was all the combined force of White Fang and Beacon survivors could do to hold off the waves of Grimm, and they were being forced back by the second. All the while, the ancient Goliath's footsteps were growing ever closer, the ground trembling more and more with every step.

Adam was at the center of the fighting, Wilt and Blush carving through the charging Grimm by the dozens. Even so, it appeared that for every Grimm that he cut down, two more would take its place not a moment after. To him, it was clear that they were fighting a losing battle. Already, their lines were crumbling under the endless assault, and it took all the strength they could muster to maintain some semblance of control over the area.

' _If only Cinder could hurry up so we can get out of here…'_

His thoughts were dripping with hate. Not exactly the best thing, given the Grimm's attraction to negativity, but he was far too enraged to care at this point. His people, his comrades, his _brothers and sisters_ , were fighting and dying for _her_ fight. She would answer for every life lost; he would see to that. His fallen comrades deserved at least that much.

He returned his attention to the battle unfolding around him. The Grimm has pushed them back all the way to the tower, though they were able to maintain a firm hold on the area, thankfully.

Then he heard another roar from the Goliath in the distance. It was getting closer, the blood red eyes behind its massive white bone mask clearly visible despite the still considerable distance. He could've sworn that he saw a hint of smugness in them as it continued onwards.

They wouldn't stand a chance if it made it to them. It needed to die, now. That left the question of how, and he wasn't coming up with any answers.

Not even the greatest weapons they had in their arsenal could take down a normal Goliath, let alone an alpha. It took entire armies to bring down Grimm that old, and they were hardly in any condition to perform such a feat. It would take nothing less than a miracle to get them out of this.

' _Then let's make a miracle.'_

He had an idea. It was a long shot, but something was better than nothing. Already, he was moving, cutting down any Grimm that got in his way. As he tore his way through the hordes, his focus went into powering his semblance, absorbing every scrap of energy he could find into his sword. Against the Grimm, however, there was less than he would have liked, and there was no way he could gather enough before the Goliath arrived.

He carved through yet another Beowolf, absorbing what little he could before moving on to the next one. Just outside his view, however, an alpha Beowolf was charging at him, its teeth bared for a clean bite at his head. He noticed it a moment too late, and his guard was wide open for the charging alpha. Just before it could make the fatal lunge, however, it was sawed clean in half by a chainsaw.

He took a moment to look for any other unseen threats. Finding none, he turned to the chainsaw wielding lieutenant, who was similarly keeping an eye out for any attacking Grimm.

"Thanks for the help, lieutenant. I'll be sure to watch my back next time."

"Think nothing of it, sir."

Adam's gaze turned to the lieutenant's chainsaw, and an idea played out in his head not a moment later.

"Lieutenant." The man turned to face him after confirming that no Grimm would attack them, at least for the moment.

"Yes, sir?"

Adam drew his sword, holding it out in a defensive stance in front of him.

"Hit my sword with your chainsaw. Don't hold back. Give it everything you have."

"Sir?" Confusion was clear in the lieutenant's voice.

"Don't worry. My semblance will absorb all the energy from your attack."

"For what purpose, sir?" Despite the hint of confusion still in his voice, the lieutenant was readying his chainsaw.

"Once that energy is absorbed, I can use it to enhance my sword strikes. If I have enough, I might just be able to cut down that Goliath bearing down on us." Adam took a moment to turn his gaze to the Grimm in question, noting how close it was getting. "We're running out of time. Do it now!"

"Yes, sir!" With that, the lieutenant brought his chainsaw down, crashing it against Wilt with a massive amount of force. Just like Adam said, virtually all of the energy was being absorbed, and a red glow started to form around him, growing brighter with each passing second. They lieutenant kept pressing down on his chainsaw, putting as much strength as he could into his attack. All of that turned into more energy for Adam's semblance to absorb, feeding into the burning red glow around him.

They stayed locked together for a few more seconds, and by the time the lieutenant pulled his chainsaw back up, Adam was enveloped in a burning light, bright red lines tracing their way across his body as the energy he absorbed coursed through him.

"This should do…hopefully. Now I just need to get close enough to hit it…" He pondered the thought for a bit before he heard a familiar voice speak up.

"Need a hand with that?" He turned to where the voice was coming from, and he was greeted by a familiar blonde, who looked relatively unharmed by any of the fighting, aside from some minor cuts and bruises here and there.

The lieutenant revved his chainsaw at the also familiar face, though he recognized her as the one that had knocked Adam unconscious earlier. Cautiously, he questioned her as she approached. "What do you want?"

Adam, not one to turn away help if he could get it in a situation like this (even if such help came from less…desirable sources), turned to the lieutenant, the stern look in his eyes apparent even through his mask. "Stand down. She's an ally, at least for now."

Complying, the man lowered his weapon, his eyes still focused intently on the blonde for any sudden movements.

Adam turned back to face the blonde. "What do you mean? How can you help?"

She replied simply. "I can get you over there." She pointed at the growing form of the Goliath in the distance. "Just not in a very…conventional way." A slight smirk played across her face as she said that.

"By that you mean…?"

"I'm throwing you over there."

"…"

Admittedly, such a thing wasn't without merit. He had seen how much strength she possessed during his battle with her, and he was certain that it'd be more than enough to launch him to where he needed to be in order to get the perfect strike at the Goliath.

"Alright."

"I was hoping you'd say that." He could've sworn he saw a devious smile cross her features as the words escaped her mouth.

Just as she was readying to throw him towards the approaching Goliath, he spoke up. "Before you send me flying, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"What is your name?" The question sounded odd to him, primarily because he very rarely had any sort of civil discussion with humans outside of whenever he had business with them, which was a very rare occurrence. Still, he made a point of knowing the names of people that earned his respect, whether they be Faunus or human, and she had certainly earned that much. She took a moment before answering.

"It's Yang, Yang Xiao Long. Yours?"

Yang. He'd make sure to remember that for when they inevitably met again. He answered.

"Adam Taurus."

She looked over him for a moment before answering. "Huh… always wondered if those horns meant something important."

He was somewhat annoyed at this, but he didn't show it. Instead, he let out a slight sigh before continuing.

"Alright, I'm ready."

"If you say so, Adam."

She lifted him up and pulled him back, ready to throw him directly at the incoming Goliath. She stopped just as she was about to send him flying.

"Oh, and one last thing, Adam."

"Yes, Yang?"

She smiled. It was full of confidence, like she was sure he'd be able to pull this off.

"Don't forget about our rematch, alright?"

He chuckled. He would never forget about it.

"You got it."

Not a moment after he said that, he was sent flying through the air.

* * *

Roman Torchwick

' _Hoo boy… Things sure are getting hectic down there.'_

Roman had never seen so many Grimm before. Such numbers were to be expected, given what Cinder was planning, but expecting it and seeing it were two very different things. Countless Nevermores and Griffons were flying towards Beacon in a massive black cloud, and he could see what could only be described as a tidal wave of Grimm rushing through Vale on the ground.

Curiously, none of them were even paying any attention to Blue Two, ignoring it like it wasn't even there at all. He wasn't one to complain, of course, but that left the issue of what to do. There was no way he'd be able to get anywhere near Beacon if the skies surrounding it were teeming with Grimm. At least, not without getting ripped to pieces before they even came close to the ground.

The obvious answer would've been to clear the skies, but against this many Grimm, such would take the firepower of at least an entire air fleet, something that they most certainly didn't have at the moment.

' _Or do we?'_

An idea flashed in his mind. While they were still only a single airship against an unending cloud of Grimm, they just might have something to help tip the scales. If he recalled correctly, there should be something very potent locked away in the ship's storage, something that certainly had the firepower they needed right now. He got up from the pilot's seat and began making his way to the lower decks of the ship.

It was an interesting tidbit of information that he learned during his studies at Venti, actually. Every Atlesian airship carried a pair of powerful dust explosives, weapons to be used only as a last resort. In the rare cases where their use became necessary, these explosives could be loaded into missiles and fired as conventional weapons. Few ever saw such use. One of his professors was among the handful of people that had seen the very first ones in action, and he recalled how they had completely obliterated a mountain (and quite a bit of the surrounding landscape) in the process. They quickly took on the nickname "Little Devils"; a gross understatement, to say the least. Not long after their first deployment, it became clear that these weapons were only to be used in the most desperate of times.

' _Well, I'd say this is one of those times.'_

By now, he was in the ship's storage area, and he found the Little Devils locked away in an exceptionally well secured crate, one that had a very clear " _DANGER: HIGH EXPLOSIVES"_ warning slapped to its side. Overriding the numerous security locks (ones that had taken him far longer to crack than he had expected), he opened the crate to find the two pieces of concentrated armageddon hidden inside, just waiting to be set loose upon the world of Remnant.

' _Huh. Lots of power locked in just two little vials of dust.'_

In truth, the Little Devils were not much more than two vials filled with an extremely volatile dust compound, one that some crazed Atlesian scientist had no doubt cooked up through some very…explosive trial and error (Atlas had a rather unfortunate tendency to get all the mad scientists of Remnant).

Despite their deceptive appearance, the Little Devils were most definitely capable of quite literally reshaping the world of Remnant (primarily in the form of a massive crater). Taking great care not to set them off, Roman took the vials to the ship's weapons bay. There, he carefully poured them out into a missile and loaded it up into a firing chamber. Satisfied that it wasn't going to detonate prematurely, he began heading back to the bridge.

On the way back, his mind drifted to something else he had learned at Venti. This one concerned his semblance, or rather, one of the more interesting ways he could use it. During an otherwise normal flight combat exercise, he ended up using his semblance on a lucky missile that had struck his ship, transferring the explosion to his opponent and blowing him out of the sky. Thankfully, no one had been seriously injured, though his instructors were none too pleased about the loss of one of their ships, and he remembered having to call in a few favors to avoid expulsion.

The incident stuck with him for the next few months, and he spent most of his free time trying to test just what else he could do with his semblance. He certainly knew of the basics of what it was capable of from his time at Atlas, but he never really had a need to push it to its limits back then.

As it turned out, he was able to manipulate the damage an explosion could do by transferring the force it released, and he could even enhance it with enough focus. Such proved quite useful when he was piloting, as he could control the damage his weapons could do to a much greater degree than normal, giving him a rather considerable edge against the rest of the academy, as well as anyone else that went up against him.

His thoughts returned to the Little Devils that had been loaded up in the missile. They were certainly destructive enough to wipe out entire hordes of Grimm, but against this many, he wasn't sure if even they'd be enough.

He always considered himself a gambling man, but there were some chances that he preferred not to take. This was one of them.

' _What if…'_

An idea dawned on him. If he could amplify the explosion with his semblance, it might just be enough. It was a long shot, however. Explosions like the ones the Little Devils could provide were far beyond anything else he had used his semblance on, and the bigger the explosion, the more it took out of him to control it. Still, there wasn't much of a choice. He wasn't going to take any chances here.

Walking onto the bridge, he could see that Neo had woken up. She was looking much better now, compared to how she was when she woke up earlier. She brightened immediately when she noticed him. He smiled in response.

"Rise and shine, Neo."

"What did I miss, Roman?"

"Oh, not too much. Just the tiny little matter of the giant horde of Grimm flying right towards Beacon. Oh right, and the little piece of armageddon I've got loaded up down below to take care of that. The usual."

She rolled her eyes. "I was wondering if you were going to do something about that. The Grimm, I mean."

He chuckled. "You know me, I love to make things interesting."

His expression grew serious, and her own hardened in response. It seemed that the time for fun was over.

"Look, I'll need your help if we're going to pull this off."

"What do you need?"

"I'm going to need you to launch a missile for me. It's already loaded and ready to fire, I just need you to press this…" He pointed at a very distinctive red button on the pilot's control console "…to fire it. Aim for the center, if you can. Don't do it until I tell you, alright?"

She nodded, though she did have one question. "What will you be doing?"

His face tensed ever so slightly before he answered. "I'll be making sure that this plan works. Don't worry about me, just make sure you do what you need to, and we'll get out of this in one piece."

She didn't question it any further. "Alright."

He let her into the pilot's seat and made his way to the bridge windows, eyes turned to the massive cloud of Grimm in front of them.

' _Well, guess it's now or never. Let's do it.'_

"Fire the missile, Neo." She complied, launching the missile directly at the center of horde of Grimm.

His gaze was focused on the missile holding the Little Devils, readying to use his semblance to overcharge the blast.

' _3…2…1…Now!'_

With that, he poured everything he had into his semblance, and his aura was glowing from the exertion. The missile, which by this point had miraculously made it deep into the airborne horde without hitting anything, was set off with a blinding flash of light, creating an even larger one as the volatile dust inside was ignited.

The sky lit up in an instant, bright enough that it seemed like a thousand suns just went supernova over Vale. Not a trace of black could be seen in the light, the Grimm being completely engulfed in a sea of white. All the while, Roman was pushing himself to his very limits, expanding the explosion even further to ensure that _nothing_ would be left. Such an effort was draining him rapidly, and he could barely keep the blast from engulfing them as well. His aura was flickering, a clear sign that the exhaustion was getting to him, but he pressed onwards, refusing to stop until the very end.

By the time the blinding light faded and the black of night returned, there was nothing left but an empty sky, save for a lone airship. Not a single Grimm darkened the skies; all had been obliterated by the Little Devils. A smile grew across Roman's face as he looked over his handiwork.

' _Ha...looks like it worked…perfectly…almost...'_

He collapsed to one knee, beads of sweat dripping down his face as he took in rapid, shallow breaths. Neo rushed over to him almost immediately, supporting him before he could drop to the ground. She helped him over to a chair, where he dropped down in a heap, far too tired to care about appearing at least somewhat dignified.

' _Damn…I need to get back into practice…'_

He really did. Even with his going almost three years without ever using his semblance, he wasn't expecting to be this drained. In fairness, he had never used it on an explosion of this level, but he wasn't particularly satisfied with that excuse.

He felt an overwhelming desire to close his eyes and let sleep take him, but he fought it off for the moment. Mustering the little strength he had left, he turned his head to Neo, who was looking over him with concern in her eyes (which had also gone from their usual pink and brown to white).

He spoke as clearly as he could, though every few words were punctuated with a ragged breath. "Think you can… get us to Beacon without… crashing the ship…?" He managed to crack a ghost of a smirk at the end of that, even trying to let out a small chuckle before it became painfully obvious that he didn't have enough left in him to do so.

She nodded, but her eyes didn't leave him. "Are you going to be alright? I'm _not_ losing you here." She looked away. "I can't." Her voice was pleading, though he could only focus on how adorable she sounded.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me. I'll just be taking…a little nap…"

His eyes slowly slid shut, sleep beginning to overtake him the moment they closed completely. His last thoughts were fleeting, and he would probably forget all about them by the time he woke up, maybe just an hour of two later.

' _Should be smooth sailing from here, Neo…nothing to stop us now…'_

He fell asleep.

* * *

The Presence

Everything had gone exactly according to plan. Countless millions of Grimm were under its thrall, each now focused solely on capturing the Queen. All the fighting in Vale had stopped; not a single Grimm was left with its free will intact, and only the strongest amongst the humans were still conscious; all the others had been knocked out from the sheer force behind its assault on their minds.

 **How wonderful.**

It would have taken the humans as well, but the master explicitly forbade it from devouring a human mind.

 **A pity. They taste so much sweeter.**

It longed for the taste of another human mind. The memories held within tasted much like a sweet honey to it, and it always craved more. Alas, the master was none too pleased with it when he found out, and it could still remember the grueling punishment it had endured as penance for invoking his ire. As such, it settled for merely knocking them unconscious, so they wouldn't interfere.

In the meanwhile, it had the minds of millions of Grimm to devour. After a point, they lost their taste, an unbearable blandness replacing the once delectable sweetness they carried. The primal it consumed earlier was an exception: _that_ mind was easily the best one it had consumed in months. Even so, it was only a momentary break in the monotony. Now it found itself forced to devour more of the same, tasteless minds that it hated with all its being.

 **Food is food.**

It wanted to believe that, but it was difficult to do so when it had a much better food source right in front of it, just begging to be torn into. It wanted to give in to its urges, but it knew better. There was no way it'd go through _that_ again just to satisfy its cravings for a few more hours. There would be time for that later. Right now, it had a job to finish.

 **Hungry.**

It set about consuming the Grimm, and the action sent their still conscious minds convulsing in pain, trapped in its shadows as they were slowly digested into nothing. It could hear millions of agonizing howls in its mind, all combining into a veritable symphony of screams that never stopped.

 **How beautiful.**

At least it could relish this part. Every mind took time to fully consume, and the process could be as painless or as agonizing as it wanted it to be. Only the scant few that earned a measure of respect from it were ever granted a peaceful consumption. The majority spent their last waking moments in horrific agony as their minds turned to nothing. It took a sick pleasure in causing such torment, though it didn't know exactly why.

 **Don't know. Don't care.**

It had long since given up on trying to understand itself. Inflicting pain in the most terrifying ways possible gave it a measure of happiness, and that was all it needed to know. The master was always…displeased with this mindset, but he let it have its fun because of its usefulness. He'd still try to rein in its more…creative methods, but for the most part, he held to a firm "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding its activities, assuming it still performed its duties, of course. The only real exception to this regarded humans. He made it very clear that they were to be harmed only when the situation absolutely required it, and there were limits to even that as well. It was annoyed at this, but it knew better than to defy him.

 **More.**

It was already devouring millions of minds, yet it was still hungry. The only Grimm left to consume were the ones at Beacon. It turned its horde towards the academy, a tidal wave of black washing over Vale as it rushed towards Beacon. It could devour the remaining Grimm and capture the Queen all at once, a sound plan, as far as it was concerned.

It would have to find the Queen's pawns as well. The master wanted them alive, so he could find a use for them in the plan. It found three at Beacon, and the other two in the skies over Vale, not far from its horde of flying Grimm. The ones in the air would be easy enough to capture; it had already infected their ship and could bring it down at a moment's notice. They could be safely ignored for the moment.

That left the three at Beacon. They were defending the tower, waiting for the Queen to return to the surface. They were heavily entrenched, and it would take much to dislodge them. Perhaps it could send the fliers at them, blacken the skies in a cloud of Grimm to cover the ones on the ground as they approached.

 **Perhaps-**

It didn't have a chance to continue that line of thought. The skies brightened in a burning flash of light, engulfing every Grimm in the air in a white blaze of fire. Not a single one made it out. The unexpected attack complicated matters more than it would have liked. It would have to reassess the situation, but first, it needed to take care of something.

The explosion came from the airship, the one it had left alone for later.

 **Not bad.**

It had underestimated the threat of the two pawns in the air. It wouldn't do that again. Mistakes were made, and it would correct them like it did any others. If they were so intent on forcing its hand, then they would be the first to fall.

 **A shame that they were lost.**

It wouldn't be long before the skies were empty once again.

 **Oh well.**

It set to work.

* * *

Neopolitan

Leaving Roman to rest after he drastically overexerted himself, Neo returned to the pilot's console, taking them on a steady path to Beacon. The plan was coming to a close by now, and it wouldn't be long before they could all go home. Maybe then, she'd be able to sort out the memories that were flowing back to her.

She was seeing bits and pieces of her early life, little glimpses of what they had done to her. She shuddered at the thought of it. Her memories were scattered, but from the little she could remember, she could tell that they weren't exactly concerned with ethics when they made her.

 _Made her._ She pondered that thought for a moment. She was flesh and blood, just like anyone else, but was that really enough to say that she was a person? They clearly didn't think so. She was just a thing to them, a tool to be crafted and discarded once it outlived its usefulness. She hated them for that, and it only grew the longer they kept her.

Unlike many of her other memories, she could remember the ones of her escape quite clearly. She had been planning for nearly a year, biding her time and trying to lull them into a false sense of security. They caught on to her intentions, however, and they were prepping her for a rather…unpleasant mental reconditioning when something truly unexpected happened.

Truth be told, she made it out through a stroke of luck. Just as they were ready to put her to sleep, an alarm went off. Grimm were attacking the facility, something that had never happened in all the years the project was active. She wasn't going to question good fortune when it came, however, and quickly took the momentary distraction to knock out the guards in the room she was in.

Despite the unexpected benefit of a Grimm attack providing a cover for her to escape, she still had her work cut out for her. Numerous security systems were in place, all designed to take her down with ruthless efficiency in the event she made a break for it. Thankfully, most of these had been redeployed against the invading Grimm, taking at least some of the pressure off of her.

All she had were the few weapons she took off the guards she had knocked unconscious, certainly not enough to fight her way out. Regardless, she pressed onwards, the lure of freedom far too great to resist. Through a combination of stubborn determination, ruthless cunning, and just plain dumb luck, she made it out mostly intact. At that point, all that stood between her and her freedom was the massive horde of Grimm closing in on the facility.

She fought through the horde as best she could, and she killed at least a few dozen Grimm in her assault. Still, their numbers were overwhelming, and it wasn't long before she began to falter. Just when she found herself cornered by a pack of alpha Beowolves, _something_ turned them away, sending them running for the hills with what looked like fear in their eyes, not exactly a common thing for a Grimm. Not a moment after that, she heard a massive explosion going off behind her, the project compound being engulfed in a sea of flames. The sheer force behind it sent her flying, and all went black when she hit the ground.

What happened afterwards was a blur to her. The memories of those times were clouded at best, and the next thing she could remember clearly was when she met Roman on the streets of Vale. What little she could remember of the gap in between only provided more questions than answers.

She'd have to deal with that later. Right now, they needed to get out of here. Beacon wasn't too far away, and the skies were completely clear for their approach. All they'd have to do was pick Cinder and the others up, and they'd be home free. Simple enough, as far as she was concerned.

Her gaze returned to Roman, who was still out cold in his chair. He appeared fine, aside from how tired he looked. Whatever he had done earlier, it clearly took a lot out of him. He needed his rest, though she hoped that he'd wake up before Cinder made it aboard: no need for her to see him like this. If anything, it'd just provide her more leverage to use against him, and they certainly didn't need any more of that.

Really, they weren't even supposed to be here. Their last job with Cinder was back at Mountain Glenn, and it was Roman's capture (which Neo was certain that Cinder had played a part in) that forced them to help her one last time. She wanted to break him out immediately, but Cinder would hear none of it, telling her to wait for the "right moment", whatever that was supposed to mean. Neo hated every minute of it, and when she got the order to break him out, she carried it out immediately. As far as she was concerned, they had no further part in any of this. Once they finished this last job, she and Roman could return to what they had always done best: surviving in a world that just didn't care.

' _Just like when we first started. No convoluted schemes, no shadowy conspiracies, just us.'_

That was almost three years ago. Roman took her in when she had nothing. He gave her a home, food, clothes, everything she could have ever needed, even when money was tight. He reminded her that she was a person, someone that could be loved just like anyone else, which was a far cry from the way they had treated her back in Atlas. He had given her a new life, and she would always be grateful for that.

Of course, they both had to play their part in footing the rent, and she was always the better thief between the two of them; few people paid that much attention to the little 4'9'' girl, even as she was robbing them blind. Her semblance probably helped with that too, but that was beside the point. Things were so simple back then. All they ever had to worry about was where to rob next. They had each other, and that was all they ever needed, or so they thought.

Now they found themselves stuck in a Grimm invasion of their home. Granted, they could always move to another kingdom (Roman occasionally mentioned to her how much he wanted to live in Mistral), but with everything they had done (or rather, everything Cinder had them do), there was no way anything would ever be the same for them again.

She let out a tired sigh; If only they could return to those simpler times.

Alas, it just wasn't in the cards, not anymore. She could only hope that they'd make it out of this, first. As for what came next, well, they could deal with that later. Together. He wasn't going to leave her, and she certainly wasn't going to leave him.

She stayed quiet for a few moments, absent mindedly steering the ships towards Beacon as she enjoyed the silence. Then she heard a voice.

 **LET ME IN.**

It came suddenly, and the sheer pain it was causing had her clutching her head. It was all she could do to maintain consciousness. She heard it speak again, though the words were softer this time.

 **How fortunate for you that I need you alive.**

She wasn't sure what to make of its words, but she took some measure of security in them. Still, she could tell that it wasn't finished. Every screen on the bridge went pitch black.

 **This ship is mine. Get out.**

Just as it finished those words, she heard a voice on the intercom.

"Attention! Main reactor overload engaged. Overloading in 30 seconds."

' _What!?'_ She was already frantically getting out of the pilot's seat, searching for the nearest way off the ship. Thankfully, each airship came with escape pods not too far from the bridge. Roman hadn't woken up yet, forcing her to drag him along as they made their way to the nearest pod. Taking a moment to look back at the bridge, she could've sworn that she saw _something_ reaching out of the pitch black screens. The voice spoke again.

 **GET OUT.**

"Overloading in 10 seconds."

She hauled him into the pod, jumping in not a moment after. Shutting the hatch behind her, she made to launch them away before she heard the voice again.

 **GO!**

"Launching escape pods."

They were off in an instant, rocketing away from the doomed ship mere seconds before it exploded and rapidly speeding towards the ground below… right into a horde of Grimm.

' _Ah crap…'_

They hit the ground with a deafening crash, and all went black.

* * *

Adam Taurus

He was sailing through the air, readying to launch Wilt from its sheathe for one decisive blow. The energy he had absorbed was coursing through him, a red glow permeating around him as he rapidly closed the distance between him and the alpha Goliath.

It noticed him as he rocketed towards it. There was a strange look in its eyes. He could've sworn that he saw fear in them, but that quickly disappeared when they turned pitch black. He paid it no further thought. He needed to concentrate: releasing this much stored energy required an incredible amount of focus. One wrong move, and he could be torn apart as the energy escaped his control.

The goliath turned to meet him head on, roaring in defiance as he approached. He matched it with one of his own just as he readied to launch Wilt, pouring every ounce of energy he could muster into the sword. Just before he collided with the massive Grimm, he fired Blush and cut clean down the beast's midline in a lightning quick draw.

He sailed right past the Goliath's body, his semblance-enhanced slash bisecting it clean in half. Landing on his feet, he smiled. He had done it.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, he looked over the ancient Grimm's remains, which still had yet to evaporate. Such seemed rather strange to him, as he had never heard of a Grimm body lasting more than a few seconds after death before fading.

Not a moment after, the sky lit up with a blinding flash of white. It stayed that way for a few seconds before the light faded.

 _'What was that?'_

He didn't have any time to ponder that. He heard a voice.

 **LET ME IN.**

The voice was sending a sharp pain through his head as it assaulted his mind. He was barely able to stay on his feet as it continued on.

 **You are lucky that he wants you alive, dog.**

 _Dog?_ He was enraged by this. It didn't even have the decency to get his Faunus species correct!

' _Get out of my head!'_

 **Defiance. He will like that. Now lie down like a good dog.**

He staunchly refused, even as it sent even sharper waves of pain coursing through him.

' _Never!'_

 **You dare defy me? You will learn your place. Just like all the others.**

The others? It couldn't possibly mean everyone at the tower, could it? It laughed cruelly.

 **I do.**

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a black mass reaching out of the Goliath's body, inching ever closer towards him. He was unable to move away, his body refusing to move as the voice continued.

 **Don't move. It only makes this part more painful.**

The shadows wrapped around him, enveloping him in a writhing mass of black tar.

' _Get off me!'_

The voice only laughed in response. There was no mirth behind it, only thinly veiled cruelty.

 **Oh, how I will enjoy this. Goodnight, dog.**

His world went black as the shadows devoured him whole.

* * *

Cinder Fall

' _Do you feel it, Cinder?'_

"Yes, but I don't know what it is."

They both sensed something terrible at work here. By this point, she was already in the elevator, speeding towards the surface to see what was amiss.

Words could hardly describe the sheer malice that was permeating the air around her. It was like something had sucked all that was good out of the area and replaced it with pure evil. Not typically something that she objected to, really, though only when she was the one doing it.

' _Such hatred…it can't possibly be coming from anything human.'_

She had much experience that proved to the contrary, but she had to agree with it in this case.

"You'd be surprised at what we're capable of, but yes, this is truly on a completely different level than anything I've seen before."

 _'And you expect us to fight it?'_

"What? I thought you were ready to stand with me no matter what."

' _Of course I will! My oath is sacred, and I will never abandon it.'_

There was a pause before it continued.

' _I only wish to know how we can expect to stand against something like that.'_

She was unsure of how to answer.

"I…don't know. I've never seen anything like it before. All I can hope for is that we can fight it off in whatever way we can."

' _It reminds me of something from my earlier years. The maiden I was bound to back then was a huntress, and she ended up alone, deep in the wilds that the Grimm infested.'_

She was curious to know more. Anything that could help them form a plan was better than nothing.

"What happened?"

' _To put it simply, something invaded her mind. It wasn't human, but it wasn't Grimm either. Something about it seemed…off. It carried itself in a strange manner, not unlike a child, really. Such did little to change the fact that its nightmares mixed with her own and sent her into a deep coma for almost three days. I was left with the choice of trying to fight it off and leaving her wide open for any nearby Grimm, or keeping the Grimm at bay and giving it the freedom to do as it pleased in her mind.'_

'Which did you choose?"

It took a moment before it answered.

' _The latter. I was young and foolish back then. I thought she was strong enough to withstand it on her own; she had passed the same trials you did, after all. I was wrong, so very wrong.'_

"How?"

There was a slight hint of disgust in its voice as it continued.

' _It…twisted her mind beyond all recognition. When she woke up, she was completely broken, any traces of the woman she once was gone entirely. Her psyche was in shambles, like someone had broken it and poorly tried putting it back together, and all I could do was put her out of her misery.'_

She was unnerved at this, but she still kept mostly calm. "And what of the thing that did that? What happened to it?"

' _I don't know. It disappeared after she woke up. I've never seen it since, and quite frankly, once was more than enough.'_

"So now it's come back here?"

' _No. Whatever it is out there, it's not the monster I encountered back then. It just reminds me of it.'_

"So is there anything you can tell me about how to stop the thing outside?"

' _Unfortunately, no there isn't. The maiden's memories had been distorted beyond repair, to the point that even I couldn't glean any information from them.'_

She sighed.

"Then we'll just have to hope for the best."

' _Do not fear. I will do everything in my power to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.'_

"Be sure that you do. I have a feeling that we're going to need it."

The elevator door opened, and she began walking out of the tower. The moment she stepped outside, however, it was immediately clear that something was _very_ wrong. Not a single person was anywhere to be found. The sounds of fighting were completely nonexistent. The White Fang, Adam, Mercury, Emerald... none of them were there.

Instead, all she saw were Grimm, each one staring directly at her.

As far as the eye could see, a massive horde of Grimm stretched out. Not one of them were looking anywhere else, their gaze focused squarely on her. She heard a voice speaking to her.

' _ **Hello, little Queen. The master sends his regards. '**_

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere. It rubbed against her mind like rough sandpaper, yet also like smooth silk. Overall, there was something fundamentally _wrong_ with it.

"What…are you…?'

' _Caution, Cinder. I'm feeling a strong power coming from it. Don't underestimate it.'_

The voice chuckled.

' _ **You flatter me. No matter, it won't save you in the end.'**_

"What do you want? Why are you here?"

' _ **You know exactly what I am here for, traitor. You have invoked the master's fury, and so you must face his wrath. I am merely here to ensure your compliance. A pity, really. I could finish you here and now, if the master hadn't stressed that he wanted you alive.'**_

She was angered at its cold dismissal of her.

"You dare mock me!? Not even he can stand against me now! What chance have you!?"

It laughed in response.

' _ **Hubris. Pride. Arrogance. I'm not even sure which I'd use to describe that. They're all so perfect, just like how you think you are.'**_

' _Calm, Cinder. It wants you to be like this. Don't indulge it.'_

" _Tch…fine."_

' **A pity. You were so easy to play with. Now you've gone and ruined my fun. Oh well…'**

A slight rumbling could be felt. The Grimm were growing restless.

'… _ **now to business. Will you come quietly? Or will I have to drag you back to him?'**_

She didn't even blink before she gave her answer.

"Never!"

' _ **Oh, I was hoping you'd say that. Goodbye.'**_

Every Grimm roared, charging straight at her with reckless abandon. She was in the air in an instant, calling upon the elements. Immediately, torrents of fire, gusts of winds, storms of ice, and sheets of lightning were carving entire swathes through the horde. None of the bodies evaporated, however.

Millions of Grimm were roaring defiantly at her, never letting up their charge and even piling on top of each other to get at her. Not one made it anywhere near her. For the moment, she was holding firm.

That wouldn't last much longer.

* * *

The Presence

The Queen thought she had a fighting chance. She thought that her newfound power could save her from its fury. She thought that she was _winning_.

 **How amusing.**

Even as its horde was being cut down by the hundreds, it wasn't concerned in the slightest. For every Grimm lost, a dozen more would rise in its place. It would only be a matter of time before she was overwhelmed through sheer numbers.

It returned its attention to the other mind occupying her head. The power of the maiden was impressive, indeed, but what truly fascinated it was the being that called itself Fall. Each of the seasons had a being just like it, and they were all the embodiments of their respective seasons.

It wanted to know more, and so, it called out.

' _ **Why do you fight for her? What has she done for you?'**_

The response was defiant.

' _She has earned my service through her own efforts. That is more than enough for me. Begone, you monster.'_

It didn't want to leave just yet.

' _ **Why? The fun is just beginning.'**_

' _We will put an end to you, and any others that come after you. Be sure of that.'_

It scoffed at this.

' _ **Do you really think that?'**_

' _With all my being.'_

Confidence born of ignorance. How sickening.

' _ **How foolish. You know nothing of the foes you face. Do you think me a great enemy? Then you will stand no chance against the master.'**_

' _We will find a way. We always will.'_

Disgusting. That was the only word it could use to describe it.

' _ **Think what you will. I am done with you. Savor your freedom while you can: I will enjoy taking it from you.'**_

' _Don't count on it, foul beast.'_

Such optimism. Such defiance. Such ignorance.

 **How stupid.**

Did they really think that they stood a chance? It would have to teach them otherwise. Personally, too. The Grimm were useless against her, far too dimwitted to figure out a way to reach her. It sighed.

 **If you want something done right…**

It reached out to its horde. Every one of them froze in response. The Queen didn't seem to notice, still unleashing attack after attack on the unmoving Grimm. It formed a spike underneath each of them, impaling every single one of them with solidified shadows.

… **do it yourself.**

Every Grimm howled for the last time, their bodies melting into a puddle of black tar. Even the dead ones were gone. In almost an instant, the entire horde had been turned into an ocean of blackness. Now the Queen seemed to take notice of what was happening. It couldn't tell if she looked confused or horrified at the sight. It didn't really care either way.

The ocean began to move, concentrating itself into a single point located just a few feet in front of her. As more and more of it merged together, a vaguely humanoid shape began to form right before her eyes. By the time that all that remained of the horde had been absorbed into it, the figure looked much like a human being, if not for the fact that it was colored pitch black with not a single defining feature to be seen.

It was impressed. It hadn't needed to use a physical form in ages. She had forced its hand.

 **Now for the fun part.**

It turned to look at her, and she looked back with determination in her eyes. She wouldn't go down without a fight.

 **Just the way I like it.**

It set to work.

* * *

AN: Ooh. Looks like we've got ourselves a cliffhanger here. I'm sure that it'll end with things just being peachy, yeah? Hehe…

On to a more serious note, it looks like pretty much everyone but Cinder has been taken down, and it seems that she's next on the chopping block. Let's hope she fares a little better than everyone else.

For any wondering about a general idea of what the Presence looks like in physical form, think of the black silhouette people from volume 1, just better defined and generally more terrifying in appearance.

So then, looks like things are shaping up for one hell of a finish, yes? After the next chapter, I'd say there's maybe two more to follow it before we wrap this story up. After that, we'll be moving on to a sequel, assuming I have the thing planned out properly by that time.

In any case, thank you very much for reading, and please don't hesitate to leave a review stating what you thought and send any questions that you may have my way. Thanks again, and stay safe.


	9. Chapter 9: Checkmate

AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! This chapter, we'll be looking at how well I can pull off an extended fight scene. Hopefully it's not too shabby. When thinking about the general look of what's going on, think of Cinder and Ozpin's fight (no, not the one from this fic, the one from the volume 3 finale. Mine was a letdown in comparison, to be perfectly frank), but on an even bigger, more epic scale. This is where we get to really see the powers that both sides have at their disposal, and it's going to be one hell of a spectacle. So place your bets now.

So, now that I have you guys warmed up for the fireworks, I present chapter 9 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy!

* * *

Cinder Fall

Of all the things she'd ever seen, this was truly the most extraordinary.

In an instant, she went from staring down an endless horde of rampaging Grimm to what looked like an endless sea of black tar. In mere moments after that, she then found herself facing a pitch black, vaguely humanoid… _thing._ It had no mouth, yet she could hear it speaking.

' _ **I give you one final chance, little Queen. Will you come quietly?'**_

She would not be denied her vengeance. Not by any _thing_.

"Never! I bow to no one!"

It laughed, a pair of blood red eyes forming on its head.

' _ **A pity. Know that you brought this on yourself.'**_

She wasn't going to let it win. She had come too far to be stopped now. That wasn't to say it would be easy. Fall was quick to remind her of this.

' _Caution, Cinder. It's stronger than it seems. I can feel it.'_

She wouldn't falter. She was strong now. Stronger than anything _he_ could throw at her. Strong enough to reclaim what was rightfully hers.

"It will fall…just like all the rest."

' _Then it looks like we agree on something. Let's send it back to the hell it crawled out of.'_

The black _thing_ began walking forwards. Its pace was casual, like it didn't have a care in the world. With every step it took, a puddle of black tar pooled around its footsteps, growing larger by the second.

' _Here it comes. Get ready.'_

In the blink of an eye, it charged forwards, mere inches away from her before a column of flames erupted beneath it. The fire appeared to do little more than annoy it, however, and it sailed straight past the flames, though she was able to call up her swords just in time to block the attack. She wasn't done, however, and used the opportunity to slice both of its arms off, jumping back and sending a wave of flames at it afterwards. It didn't move an inch.

The flames washed over it entirely, yet they soon turned black, much like the rest of its body. Shortly after, they stopped burning, and both of its arms had grown back, the ones had been severed earlier melting into the rapidly expanding puddle of tar beneath their feet. It formed its own pair of swords, pitch black and practically identical to her own. It pointed one of them at her.

' _ **Try harder, would you? I need more fun than this.'**_

It charged forwards once more, swords poised to strike. She responded in kind, and they both clashed with a resounding _clang_ as their swords locked together. Not a moment after, they disappeared in a flash, barely visible to the naked eye as they hammered away at each other in a whirlwind of slashes and parries.

 _Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang…_

They kept going, the telltale _clangs_ growing increasingly frequent as they tried outpacing each other. With one final clash, they found their blades locked together again, but they made no effort to break them apart.

' _ **More, little Queen! More. More! MORE!'**_

The ground they were standing on was covered in the same black tar.

' _Look out!'_

She felt the ground beneath her convulsing, and she broke their blade lock and jumped back on pure instinct, mere milliseconds before a black spike erupted from the ground that she had been standing on. She had no time to catch her breath, however, as more spikes burst out towards her, relentlessly driving her deeper and deeper into the black stained ground. By the time they had stopped, not a single patch of ground was untouched. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but a thick carpet of black.

' _Behind you!'_

She turned around, and she saw her attacker charging at her again, both swords readied for a powerful strike.

It was already too close: she wouldn't have enough time to block its attack. She braced herself, flaring her aura to absorb the hit, but it never came. Instead, a harsh gust of wind sent it flying backwards to the ground. Fall let out a sigh of relief.

' _That was too close.'_

"Thanks for that."

' _No harm will come to you, Cinder. Not if I can help it.'_

She smiled lightly, glad that she would always have someone watching her back. She returned her attention to the black figure that was picking itself up off the ground. It didn't make any further movements, however, merely standing stock still as its red eyes glowed even brighter. It laughed darkly.

' _ **Hah… Now the real fun begins.'**_

The ground began to tremble. Masses of thick black tar rose up from the ground, swirling around it as its eyes turned their gaze on her. Its body melted, turning into another black mass, though this one had a distinctive pair of red eyes. In an instant, they all rushed towards her, and she, having no intention of finding out what they could do to her if they made contact, leapt back as they closed in on her. She sent wave after wave of flames at them, but they did little to ease the assault, the fires going black and extinguishing not long after making contact.

She took to the skies, and they followed, merging into a thick cloud of shadows in their pursuit. Everything she sent at it only seemed to make it grow bigger, and she was quickly running out of options as it drew closer. The red eyes in the cloud were glowing brightly.

' _ **What will you do now, little Queen?'**_

"Tch…I'll find a way."

She wasn't sure that she would. It was drawing closer, and nothing she threw at it was slowing it down. As the distance between them closed, Fall spoke up.

' _Cinder. There is no point in running from it. You must face it head on.'_

"What!? Why would-"

' _Don't worry. My power can shield you. You just have to command it.'_

Given the lack of any better alternatives, she could only nod before she began tapping into her power, conjuring a thick barrier of flame, wind, lightning, and ice around her before charging directly at the black cloud bearing down on her.

Crashing against each other, neither side was giving any ground. Hungry shadows raged against the elements as both sought to overtake each other. The voice laughed, a mad cackle grating against her mind as she poured every ounce of her power into the barrier.

' _ **HAHAHA! MORE! MORE!'**_

Its words came out in a psychotic roar, even as its shadows were gradually losing out. Before long, the cloud dispersed, the red eyes disappearing as the remaining shadows fell helplessly to the ground below. Even so, she could tell that they weren't done yet.

"Where is it?"

' _ **Right here.'**_

It had reformed its body a moderate distance away from her, floating in the air on a cloud of black. Beneath them, black shadows were reaching up from the ground, awaiting their master's command. As they whirled around it, they began to harden, forming into a veritable storm of pitch black spikes, all aimed directly at her.

' _ **Dodge THIS!'**_

She responded with a different approach, forming a massive wave of black glass and ice shards and propelling them forward with a powerful gust of wind to meet the storm head on. They countered each other blow for blow, spikes colliding against shards and shattering on impact by the hundreds.

Even as they continued sending waves of projectiles at each other, she was readying for another plan of attack. Drawing into the power again, she called on the flames, a stream of fire weaving around her as she poured more power into it with every passing second. The spikes had stopped coming at this point, and she could see that it was similarly massing shadows around it in preparation for her attack. Fall urged her onward.

' _Don't give it an inch! Call upon everything you have!'_

She smiled.

"Oh, don't worry... I will."

The flames were a raging inferno swirling around her, just waiting to be sent towards a target. She sent them out in a blazing torrent of fire, aimed directly at the center of the writhing mass of shadows, which sent its own cascade of black fire in response. Both attacks clashed with a deafening explosion, continuing onward as both sides poured more flames at each other. They were at a stalemate, neither side gaining any ground in their figurative flaming tug of war.

' _ **Is this all the fury you can muster!? More! I demand MORE!'**_

Her smile grew wider.

"Then that's what you'll get. This ends here!"

Fall was excited.

' _Finish this, Cinder!'_

The voice sounded even more excited.

' _ **HAHAHA! THEN HAVE AT YOU!'**_

Massive torrents of shadows streamed up from the ground below to join the writhing black mass in the air, the torrent of black flames growing even stronger as a result. They began pushing her flames back, but she was undeterred. She called upon even more of her power, and her fire burned brighter than a thousand suns as it pushed back against the black tide. They were winning, driving the torrent of black flames back, faster and faster with every passing second.

' _ **MORE! MORE! MORE!'**_

It screamed for more even as it saw that it was losing. She was more than willing to oblige it. Just as her flames were about to reach their target, she called upon the winds, sending a merciless flurry of air barreling straight down on it from above. The attack caught it perfectly, sending it crashing to the ground as the flames poured onto it with unrelenting fury. She wasn't done with it, however.

She was only getting started.

Maintaining her blazing torrent of flames, she began to summon up the other elements on the black shadow trapped helplessly before the raging winds beneath her. In an instant, a massive thunderstorm formed, hundreds of lightning bolts streaking across the sky before striking at the exact same target while a freezing hailstorm simultaneously buried it in a rain of sub-zero ice shards.

Pouring everything she had into this final effort, she called upon the winds again. Instead of sending another gust at it, she formed a raging tornado directly on top of it, the sheer force from the winds sending it flying back into the sky. All of her other attacks combined with the enraged winds, merging into a terrifying fusion of fire, ice, lightning, and wind that tore into the shadows without mercy.

Nature's fury was truly something to behold.

The shadows were being ripped apart, powerless before the relentless tornado as it was burned, frozen, electrocuted, and blown away with inhuman fury. The voice was still laughing, however, never stopping despite growing fainter by the second. Even as it faded into silence, it kept laughing with a psychotic glee. All traces of black vanished just as the voice did.

She was able to keep the elemental storm going for almost a full minute before she stopped. She probably could have pushed for a while longer, but there was no way that it could have survived that. She landed on the ground: tired, but satisfied in her victory.

She smiled to herself.

She did it.

She won.

Then she heard a voice.

It was laughing.

'… _ **hahaha…Hahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!'**_

She couldn't believe it. Nothing could have survived that!

It wasn't done. As it continued on with its howling cackle, it reformed itself right in front of her, its blood red eyes positively burning with manic joy.

' _ **THIS is why I fight! I haven't had this much fun in AGES! Again, little Queen! I demand MORE!'**_

She formed her swords and readied into a combat stance as best she could, the inhuman monster in front of her forming a pair of massive black scythes and responding in kind.

' _Get ready, Cinder. This thing is far more resilient than I expected.'_

' _ **Such praise! I am honored to hear it from a fellow warrior. Now…AGAIN!'**_

It charged at her once more.

* * *

The Presence

Of all the things it had done, nothing would ever match _this_. It hadn't fought with its physical form in ages, and it craved a battle with a worthy opponent, just as much as it craved the taste of another human mind. Perhaps it could've satisfied both, had the master not specifically ordered that it bring her back alive.

 _ **Oh well…**_

It didn't mind too much. It could always find another, more insignificant mind to devour. Foes that could give it a true challenge, on the other hand, were in very short supply by comparison.

 _ **More.**_

It wasn't done playing with her yet. She still had some fight left in her, and it wanted to squeeze every ounce of it out of her until she broke. Then, and only then, could it end this little game.

They had already lost the moment they picked a fight with something infinitely their better.

 _ **Fools.**_

Oh, how foolish they were to think that they could actually win. They might as well have been trying to hide a Goliath behind a lamppost; their chances would have still been better than they were now.

It rushed forwards, both its scythes spinning in a whirlwind as it closed the gap between them. The feeling was truly exhilarating. It hadn't made use of its weapons in ages, and it was eager to wipe the dust off, preferably as it tore away at her with reckless abandon.

 _ **Have your fill, my children.**_

Twilight Reaper and Midnight Reaper were so very hungry; they had languished for millennia without claiming a single victim, and they were positively _dying_ for another chance at it. Blood Fang and Blood Claw were none too pleased with their own fun getting cut short, especially to the "old timers", as the blades so loved to call the ancient scythes, but there was only so much childish tantrums could do before one simply had enough. They would see similar disuse if they were so intent on acting out like this.

With a practiced ease that came from untold millennia of experience, it swung both scythes at her, her swords buckling as she blocked the attack. With their blades locked together, it pulled the scythes back, taking the Queen's blades with it and sending them clattering to the floor. Not wasting an opportunity, it swung Midnight Reaper (Twilight Reaper would later express jealousy for not being chosen) at her, the cutting edge aimed directly at her midsection.

Just before the blade made contact, a wall of flames erupted between them and stopped the attack dead in its tracks. The barrier dissipated just as quickly as it appeared, but it had done its job and allowed her to put some distance between them.

 _ **Not bad.**_

It appeared that Fall was still faithfully performing its duty, moving to protect the Queen anytime she was in danger. Admirable, but ultimately futile. A maiden and her protector were nothing without each other, and when one fell, the other was not far behind.

Now it was just the matter of getting that to happen. The Queen was the obvious choice; she was already starting to tire, while on the other hand, Fall had far more stamina than any human would ever be capable of having. Of course, even for a human, the Queen was a stubborn one; and her rage only made her more resilient to fatigue. It would just have to beat it out of her until there was nothing left.

 _ **How fun.**_

The twin scythes were all too happy to oblige; father could have picked any of their various brothers and sisters for the job, but he had chosen them! They wouldn't disappoint him, they would make sure of that. Excitement was coursing through them; they would make their father proud.

 _ **Settle down, children.**_

Of course, they obeyed like the dutiful children they were (more than could be said for those young upstarts, Blood Fang and Blood Claw). Father's word was law in their household, after all.

 _ **Good boys.**_

They were happy to have earned father's approval. Now they would earn his pride. They obeyed his commands without question as he charged at the Queen once more.

It swung both scythes with tremendous force behind every strike, all aimed for clean cuts across her body. She managed to evade most of them (the twin scythes were blaming themselves for failing to hit her: it would have to reassure them later), but she was tiring out with every movement.

All the while, it was seeping its black tar into the ground once again. Few ever really noticed the danger beneath their feet before it was too late, and fewer still could actually evade it with any sort of effectiveness.

 _ **Never again.**_

The Queen had been lucky the last time she avoided its attacks. She wouldn't be so lucky this time. It formed its black spikes from the shadows like it always did, but these were merely a distraction as it pushed her closer to where it wanted her.

She landed after leaping back to avoid the spikes, right into its trap. The ground gave away, revealing a deep puddle of black tar that began drawing her in. She struggled against it, but such was for naught. She began to sink deeper into the puddle, her efforts growing weaker with every inch she sank. It was time to end this, once and for all.

Just as it readied to engulf her in its shadows and put the figurative nail in her coffin, Fall spoke to it.

' _We're not done yet, you monster.'_

It was confused.

' _ **What?'**_

' _We will never give in. Not now. Not ever!'_

' _ **Fools! You can't possibly-'**_

It was cut off when the Queen burst up from the ground, sending its shadows flying in all directions as she took to the air again, a burning aura of flame, ice, lightning, and wind swirling around her as she looked down at it. Rage had overtaken her, her powers amplifying to match her fury.

' _ **So you still have some fight in you?'**_

She replied with venom in her tone.

"More than you could possibly imagine. It's time to end this."

It chuckled at this. Their battle would most certainly end, just not in the way she expected. It readied both scythes and it followed her into the air, evading the bursts of fire, ice, lightning, and wind she sent at it as it drew closer, scythes eager to claim the first life they had in centuries. Every swing was blocked by the Queen's barrier, but it was faltering against the relentless assault.

Meanwhile, it was drawing the shadows on the ground into the air, creating thick black clouds that joined in its chase after her. She was evading them, for the moment, but that wouldn't last long.

It was readying to end this for good.

First, however, it would need to keep its children safe. They didn't need to see what their father would do next, and it certainly had no intention of letting them be caught in its fury.

 _ **Return home, children. Father will be back soon.**_

They weren't as quick to accept as they were before. They wanted to know why they had to leave before they could end her life. He hadn't told them that he needed her alive. He had no intentions of doing so, either.

 _ **This fight is between the two of us, now. You don't belong here. I don't want you getting hurt.**_

They weren't very satisfied with his answer, but they put aside their frustrations, for the moment. Father was clearly very busy, and they were wasting his precious time. Such was very unbecoming of them, and they dutifully melted into shadows and returned home, as per their father's wishes.

 _ **Good children…**_

It was proud to have such good boys.

Now if only it could say that for all of its children…

It sighed: it could deal with its family troubles later. Right now, it had a job to finish.

… _ **Now on to business.**_

It merged with the shadows it had called from the ground, turning into a massive black cloud that darkened the skies. The Queen looked at it defiantly. Her eyes burned with a fire that never wavered. It would enjoy snuffing that flame out.

It set to work.

* * *

?

His eyes were focused intently on the battle unfolding before his very eyes. The Queen was proving defiant, matching the Presence blow for blow, at least for the moment. He knew that it wouldn't be long before she faltered. It was a question of when, not if.

Speaking of questions, his thoughts turned to how he'd go about uprooting the _thing_ that had wormed itself into her mind. It was buried deep enough that it required her to be there with him in order to even have a chance at pulling it out, but that left the question of the damage that could be done in doing such a task.

The human mind was a fragile thing. Even the most resilient of souls were always exceptionally vulnerable to the horrors and grim realities that the world of Remnant was no stranger to. The Presence's mental assault on Vale had proved that; only a scant few had even managed to maintain consciousness as it touched their minds with its shadows. Of course, a handful were above this vulnerability, and it were these select few that would truly change the face of Remnant, for better or worse.

The Queen was certainly one of the more resilient ones, but even she had her limits. If he went about removing it too hastily, there was a serious risk of permanent damage to her mind, and he had no intention of letting that happen. Not again. However, if he wasn't fast enough, it would only provide it a greater opportunity to corrupt even more of her mind. He couldn't allow that, either.

Then there was the matter of the other presence in her mind. The power of the maiden, or rather, the being that called itself Fall, was a stubbornly honorable individual, always adhering to its code and duty. An admirable trait, to be sure, but one that left it rather…inflexible when it came to deciding its loyalties. Uprooting the worm in her mind was already a delicate procedure, and there was certainly no need to make it more complicated by having to fend off an enraged Fall in the process.

By now, it would have taken in the lies the worm had produced, and it would see him as an enemy, as the Queen's false memories would attest to. Convincing it otherwise would prove difficult, but it would have to be done, or else the worm would never be removed from her mind. That left the question of how to go about doing that.

Then there came the matter of where the worm had even come from. When he first found it all those years ago, it was a true enigma wrapped in a mystery. Information on it was almost nonexistent, and the little he found dated back to before the kingdoms were founded. Even those held little of value, only cryptic stories and myths of terrifying monsters that preyed upon humans where they were most vulnerable: their minds. They all mentioned the monsters themselves, but none made any note on a way to defeat them.

He sighed.

So many questions, yet no answers.

Of course, all he could do was ponder questions and answers until the Presence brought her back. His eyes returned to the screen.

The battle had escalated rather quickly, a massive firestorm raging against an unending cloud of shadows. The Queen was facing the main body, sending waves of glass and ice at it that were countered by solidified shadows.

Their battle looked like it could go on forever, and while he knew that this wasn't the case, his patience was wearing thin. He tired of this little game. The longer he waited, the longer the worm would have free reign in her mind, and he couldn't allow that to go on for even a second longer than absolutely necessary. This needed to end _now_.

He sighed. Normally, he wouldn't resort to such measures, but the Queen's stubborn resistance left him no choice. His mind reached out to the Presence, preparing to unleash something truly monstrous upon the world of Remnant. Unfortunately, desperate times called for desperate measures.

It was time to end this.

* * *

The Presence

It grew tired of this little game. The fun in toying with her was gone now. The novelty of taking its children into battle with it was gone, as it had sent them away for their own safety. Even the allure of a great battle was starting to wear thin.

 _ **How droll.**_

At some point, the fun had turned to business, and that was never a good sign. It tired of this fight. Their battle had gone on long enough, yet some people just didn't know when to quit. The Queen was among one of these infuriating few.

 _ **Just give up. You've already lost.**_

Of course, she was as stubborn as an angry Goliath, and it was quite clear that she wouldn't stop until either she or it was dead. Unfortunately, it needed her alive, and that created the interesting issue of how it could end this fight without killing her.

An assault on her mind would've been the most prudent decision, but Fall had blocked out most of its previous attempts, and it had decided that it wasn't worth the effort.

 _ **If only I could really cut loose…**_

It was barely able to use a fraction of its power, lest it risk killing her. It was a good thing it had standing orders to let her live, otherwise she would have been dead where she stood.

It heard a voice. It was the master.

' _This has gone on long enough.'_

It grew nervous at his words.

' _ **Master! I assure you, I-'**_

' _Enough. I am authorizing a release on your secondary limiters for the remainder of your mission.'_

It was surprised to hear this. Those limiters were in place to restrict it, to lock away portions of its full power to prevent it from causing too much damage. They were released in only the most dire of circumstances. To use it here seemed, quite frankly, like overkill.

' _ **Are you certain of this, master?'**_

' _I am. You have your orders. Bring her back to me, alive. All I care about is that she gets here.'_

' _ **As you wish, master.'**_

He began to recite the opening phrase. Each set of locks had a separate one in place, primarily to prevent multiple from being opened at once. Only the master's voice could open them.

' _Eternal night, come forth once more, and bring victory at last to this great fight…'_

Just as he finished reciting the words, it felt a great surge of energy coursing through it. Power that had been denied to it was now flowing freely. Power that had been locked for millennia was now unleashed upon the world of Remnant (not for the first time, admittedly).

' _ **Thank you, master. I will not fail again.'**_

' _See to it that you don't. My patience wears thin.'_

It smiled as it began to re-familiarize itself with its old powers.

Now the fun could _really_ begin.

It dropped to the ground, taking a physical form again, this one much the same with the exception of the blood red armor that covered its chest and shoulders, as well as a pair of pitch black wings with red, leathery membranes.

The armor was largely unremarkable, with the exception of the image of a great black dragon emblazoned directly over the chest. It breathed a stream of equally black fire into the sky, as if in defiance of the gods themselves. It covered nearly every inch of the figure's upper body, pulsing with a dark red glow.

It stretched its wings. They had no real use in terms of flying, but the sheer terror they could inspire was of great value in battle, and they doubled as a pair of shields as well.

It needed one last thing. It needed a weapon.

 _ **Come, my child.**_

A massive black great sword formed in its hands, dark red lines weaving their way through the blade all the way to the hilt. The weapon was longer than it was tall, but it held it steadily with a practiced ease. It smiled.

It hadn't drawn Black Dawn in ages. Even in the rare instances where any of its limiters were removed, its first children almost never saw use in combat after they had been sealed away. The malevolent great sword was eager for battle, thirsty for the taste of warm blood on cold, black steel. For untold millennia, he had been imprisoned, starved of the blood he craved so much. Now he was free, and he was _hungry_.

Its first children were unique amongst their younger siblings. They were ancient: almost as old as their father, even. They had seen countless millennia of war, and after hundreds of thousands of battles, they could only taste death. Each had claimed countless lives, and every kill made them crave the next one even more. They had been sealed away because of their insatiable bloodlust, something their father was vehemently opposed to, but the master would hear none of it. They were to be used only as a last resort, and the limiters sealed them away whenever their use was unnecessary.

Black Dawn was dangerous, no doubt, but he was quite tame in comparison to some of his more unhinged brothers and sisters, who were still sealed behind the remaining locks. He wouldn't let this opportunity go to waste; father had chosen him for this task, and he would not disappoint.

 _ **Welcome back, my child.**_

Black Dawn was happy. He was free, at least for the moment. Father did his best to visit them in their prisons, but he was always so very busy, and his visits were growing shorter and fewer with every passing year. Now that they had a moment like this, a time where father and son could truly bond on the field of battle? They would cherish it forever, or at least until the next one came.

It turned its gaze to the Queen, who had landed in front of it, swords drawn and wreathed in angry flames. It pointed Black Dawn at her, smiling to itself as the blade trembled with excitement.

 _ **Perhaps there is more fun to be had.**_

It wasn't very often that it got to exercise even a fraction of its true power: few threats ever warranted such measures. It didn't plan on letting such a rare opportunity go to waste, not anytime soon.

 _ **Yes…so much fun…**_

It would keep this little game going for a while longer; its child was hungry for battle, and it had no intention of denying him such a pleasure. Of course, it wanted a taste as well, but the children always came first.

 _ **Always.**_

It could tell that the other ones were watching from the sidelines, eager to join in. None did, of course (father would be _very_ cross with them if they did), but it could tell that they wanted more. It smiled, almost forgetting that they weren't supposed to be here. It would have to set them straight later.

As for right now, however...if they truly wanted a show, then it would provide them one that they would never forget.

 _ **Have your fill, my children. Have your fill…**_

Black Dawn was practically bounding with anticipation. He was almost _begging_ for the fighting to commence, eager for the familiar clattering of metal against metal. The red lines running down the length of the blade pulsed brighter and brighter with every passing moment.

 _ **Patience, my child. You shall have your chance.**_

The two of them stood still, unmoving as their gazes locked firmly with each other, burning amber eyes meeting glowing red ones. Neither was going to back down.

It smiled.

 _ **How wonderful.**_

Maybe it could get some more fun out of her after all.

 _ **Let's play.**_

It set to work.

* * *

Cinder Fall

' _Here it comes!'_

The newly armored and winged figure surged forwards, the massive sword in its hands raised overhead as it rapidly closed the distance between them. The blade came down in a tremendous cleave, the sheer force behind it sending a deep rumbling throughout the ground even as she evaded the strike.

It didn't bother stopping, rushing forwards at her again, faster this time. The sword was poised for a swing across her midsection, and she sent a gust of wind at it to slow it down before meeting the attack head on, flaming swords clashing against a massive black sword with a resounding _clang_ of metal against metal.

As their blades locked, she could have sworn that she saw a black pulse ripple throughout the sword, as if it had a mind of its own. She pushed the stray thought away; it would serve no use in getting them through this.

She broke the blade lock, pouring a torrent of fire into her blades and forcing it back. Not letting up her assault, she launched a wave of flame at it, the fires hungrily surging forwards as the figure met them head on with its sword. The flames crashed against the massive blade, but they quickly turned black and burned to nothing after they made contact.

Before she could react, the ground beneath her erupted into a column of black fire. She was barely able to avoid it, the unexpected attack just barely grazing her aura before she pulled back. This left her wide open, however, and it ruthlessly exploited this fact by appearing right next to her and swinging its sword. The attack connected, and she was just barely able to flare her aura in time to avoid any severe damage before she was sent flying.

She hit the ground hard, though she was able to roll into the fall and come out onto her feet with relatively minor difficulty. The black figure was nowhere to be seen.

' _Above you!'_

Flames shot up from beneath her, forming a shield over her head as she looked up. She could see her attacker in the air, rapidly falling to the ground with its sword poised to strike. It was too close for her to dodge; she'd have to meet it head on. Pouring everything she could into the shield over her head, she braced herself for the coming attack.

The massive sword crashed against her shield with a resounding _boom_ , the sheer force causing it to buckle under the pressure as a shockwave rippled throughout the area.

Not wasting this opportunity, she commanded the remains of the shield to engulf the figure while its blade was still stuck in the flames, just barely missing it before it pulled back with a flap of its wings.

It landed on the ground a short distance away from her, pointing its great sword at her once again, a gesture she returned in kind with her own pair of flaming swords. All around her, masses of black tar were reaching out of the ground, each with a distinctive pair of red eyes. She heard the voice speaking to her.

' _ **Is that all you have left, little Queen!? How disappointing. The children demand MORE!'**_

The living shadows surrounding the two of them were leaping about, almost like they were cheering. The voice continued on.

' _ **MORE! Show them MORE!'**_

It charged forwards as it screamed at her, all caution thrown to the wind as it tried goading her into attacking. Instead, she took to the air, the winged figure following not long after.

Their battle took to the skies, and the shadows below only watched in awe as the two of them became blurs of motion, clashing over and over again in a flurry of slashes and parries. Fire and shadows rained down from the skies, quickly forgotten as they hastened their assaults on each other. Their confrontation culminated with one final clash, hungry shadows meeting burning flames in mid-air as they both crashed their swords against each other. Both of them were going at each other with all their might, and neither side was backing down.

' _ **MORE! GIVE ME MORE!'**_

Cinder had no intention of staying in this stalemate. As she maintained her flaming charge, she summoned up a gust of wind to send her opponent to the ground. It resisted, not budging an inch as it surged forwards with even more force behind its charge. She commanded the winds to blow, growing stronger and stronger with every passing second. Finally, with one decisive gale of powerful wind, she knocked it off course, sending it straight into the ground. It crashed with a massive explosion that stirred up an even larger cloud of dust.

Even before the dust fully settled, she heard it speaking again.

' _ **HAHAHA! You make the children so happy! DON'T STOP!'**_

It slammed into her with the full force of its body, knocking her to the ground. It loomed over her, a manic red glow in its eyes.

' _ **GET UP! THEY DEMAND MORE!'**_

As she frantically picked herself up off the ground, she could see the living shadows surrounding them again. They looked…excited, for lack of a better word. They were all chanting something, hundreds of different voices screaming at her as she reformed her swords.

' _ **AGAIN! AGAIN! AGAIN!'**_

Their father drew his great sword again, readying for another confrontation. Just before it could charge forward, she sent a burst of roaring flames at it.

It sidestepped the attack with ease, but it failed to notice the attack continuing to go forward…right into one of the chanting shadows.

The flames lit it up in an instant, and it flailed about madly as it tried to quench the flames that were incinerating it whole, to no avail. The other shadows were moving to help, but their father wasn't moving.

It was looking squarely at her, the red glow in its eyes burning brighter than the sun.

' _ **You…YOU! You DARE bring harm to MY children!? You will DIE!'**_

Its voice was akin to a thunderous roar as it screamed at her in its fury. The ground trembled with every word.

' _ **THIS ENDS HERE!'**_

It turned into a massive cloud of living shadows, rushing forward at her with the speed of a bullet. She was just barely able to avoid it, taking to the skies as fast as she could before she could be devoured whole by the tide of black.

' _ **STOP RUNNING!'**_

The cloud was gaining on her: there was no way she'd be able to outrun it. She only had one option.

' _Stand your ground, Cinder! Don't give this thing an inch!'_

She had no other choice.

Tapping into her power as fast as she could, she formed a barrier around her composed of fire, ice, lightning, and wind. Around that, she formed even more layers, and yet more still on top of those.

' _ **THAT CANNOT SAVE YOU!'**_

It would have to. Her strength was leaving her; tapping into so much power had drained her completely. Just before unconsciousness took her, she could feel Fall forming something else around her barriers, drawing upon the fury of nature itself to create a massive dragon made of fire, ice, lightning, and wind. The awe-inspiring sight gave even the black cloud pause, if only for a moment.

' _ **NOTHING WILL PROTECT YOU FROM ME! DO YOU HEAR ME!? NOTHING!'**_

It roared at the massive dragon in front of it, defiant against the living embodiment of nature that stood against it. The dragon responded with a roar of its own, just as unwilling to back down against the abomination that sought to harm its charge.

' _YOU WON'T LAY A FINGER ON HER, FOUL SHADOW! I WILL STOP YOU, HERE AND NOW!'_

' _ **STAY OUT OF THIS! SHE MUST DIE!'**_

' _NEVER!'_

' _ **SO BE IT! YOU CAN DIE TOGETHER!'**_

With one final, earsplitting roar, the black cloud surged forwards, taking the shape of another dragon, this one pitch black with blood red lines running across its body, as well as a pair of blood red eyes that had a look of pure hatred in them.

Both dragons crashed into each other, the impact alone sending out a shockwave that could be felt all over Remnant. Both titans were giving everything they had, neither budging even a fraction of an inch as they roared at each other.

' _I WILL NOT LET YOU NEAR HER!'_

' _ **GIVE IT UP! ACCEPT YOUR FATE!'**_

Incredible didn't even begin to describe the sight unfolding in the skies. Both sides were perfectly matched, neither one gaining any purchase over the other. The sheer power emanating from their battle was enormous; the force from every blow sending out rippling waves of energy that shook Remnant to its very core.

Their battle was a true legend in the making. Massive torrents of black flames crashed against torrents of fire, ice, lightning, and wind in a brutal contest for dominance in the skies over Beacon. It was a true miracle that the academy even survived at all, let alone without having lost a single structure. The few in Vale that were still conscious would later describe the sight as a battle between two angry gods.

' _ **YOU CAN'T WIN!'**_

' _YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS LOSING!'_

Rage and hatred were flowing so strongly, that Grimm all over Remnant could feel it. Beneath the surface, buried deep within the forgotten depths, something was stirring, the raw negativity disturbing its slumber.

' _ENOUGH! THIS ENDS HERE!'_

' _ **MEET YOUR END!'**_

With one final roar, both dragons collided for the last time. Living shadows were pitted against the whirling elements, both trying to overtake each other as the two titans locked together in what looked like an eternal struggle, both of them pouring everything they had into this final attack.

Both opened their gaping maws at the exact same time. Each said the exact same thing.

' _ **DIE!'**_

' _DIE!'_

Both unleashed one final attack, a massive torrent of flames that burned brighter than a thousand suns. The roaring cascades of fire crashed into each other in an instant, and they created a blinding flash of light as both dragons were engulfed in a colossal explosion. Both let out one final roar of defiance before they were consumed whole.

All went white.

* * *

AN: Well, that happened. I have to say, this was absolutely amazing to write. Fight scenes normally give me trouble, but this one just kind of flowed naturally to me. I'd say this one completely blows the Cinder vs. Ozpin fight out of the water, at least in terms of sheer scale, in my humble opinion.

Now then, regarding the Presence's "children", there are some things I feel I should make clear. The children are essentially formless masses of living shadows, not unlike their father. The key difference is that they are far younger and are not nearly as capable of taking a physical form, limited primarily to being weapons, with the exception being the first children, some of whom are barely a few centuries behind their father and are in many ways his equals.

Each child is differentiated by their personalities and the weapon they are. Black Dawn is a great sword and has a deeply ingrained bloodlust fostered over countless kills. Midnight Reaper and Twilight Reaper are both scythes, and they are dutiful and obedient. Blood Fang and Blood Claw are swords, and they are more rowdy than their brothers and sisters, a result of being one of the youngest among them. How the Presence keeps up with all its children is a mystery, but it does it anyways, because he's a good father (sadistic morality aside).

In terms of how they function as a family, think of them as a bunch of children all vying for their father's attention. They are at their happiest when he takes them into battle, because then they can really feel close to him in a way that just doesn't happen when he's not there with them. Of course, he loves every one of them all the same, he just has a very busy schedule and doesn't have time for each of shouldn't offset the fact that they're all very bad people, of course. Just think of them as one big, happy family that just happens to routinely commit murder every few minutes.

One word of advice; don't even think about laying a finger on any one of his children if you value your life. He will go Papa Wolf on you so fast, it's not even funny. Just ask Cinder.

Another thing I should clear up is the Presence's power limiters. These are in place for a number of reasons, some of which are spoilers. Obviously, I won't be revealing those, but I will say that they serve a much more important purpose than simply locking away its power to be used only when it's needed. The only one that can open them is the King, and he can just as easily lock them again at a moment's notice. The Presence is not allowed to tamper with the locks in any way, or else it faces a rather hefty punishment.

Well, I think that's all I've really got to say. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I've left us off on a cliffhanger, it seems. Don't worry too much about that. I'm sure it'll all turn out fine. Thank you very much for reading, and please don't hesitate to leave a review stating what you thought or to send any questions you may have my way. Thanks again, and stay safe.


	10. Chapter 10: Picking Up the Pieces

AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! Previously, we just finished with Cinder vs. The Presence, and things ended with a literal bang. As for how that turned out, well…that'll be addressed in this chapter. Beyond that, there'll be a bit more delving into what's happening with some of our other characters. Can't say there'll be much in the way of action, though, so that's a bit unfortunate.

Regardless, I hope you guys will like what this chapter has to offer. So, without further ado, I present Chapter 10 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

The Presence

 _ **PAIN.**_

It had been careless. When it woke up, it felt a burning pain, something that it hadn't felt in centuries, at least not in battle. Such was its punishment for this grave mistake: it was never a wise move to underestimate one's opponents.

 _ **NEVER.**_

Fall was much more dangerous than it looked. It hadn't had a fight like that in ages. At even a fraction of its full power, few could ever hold their ground against it, let alone be able to fight it on even terms.

Truly, Fall had earned its title as one of the four embodiments of nature. It was a pity that they found each other on opposite sides. Such worthy opponents often made for equally worthy allies.

 _ **BECAUSE OF HER.**_

 _She_ was the reason for this. _She_ would have much to answer for.

 _She_ defied the master's will. _She_ fought back against his wrath. _She_ thought to resist the inevitable.

Yet most damning of all, _she_ hurt one of its children.

There would be no mercy for that.

 _ **NONE.**_

She laid unconscious on the ground: completely vulnerable. Fall had yet to recover from their battle, still reforming itself after being engulfed in the explosion that brought both of them closer to the brink of oblivion than anything else ever had.

It wouldn't be able to save her, not this time.

A writhing black mass formed next to her, looming over her unmoving form. It had no intention of simply engulfing her and spiriting her away, not anymore. She would be devoured whole, forced to experience pain like she had never felt before as she was digested into nothing. It would savor every moment.

 _ **DIE.**_

The master would have his Queen, just not in one piece. She didn't deserve that kindness. The pawns she had gathered would have to make up for her loss. Fall would serve as well, or it would be devoured along with her.

 _ **DIE!**_

The shadows rushed forwards, eager to cut her life short. They drew closer, readying to consume her, completely and utterly. Yet just as they were mere inches away from extinguishing her flame entirely, they were stopped dead in their tracks by a burning light.

 _ **WHAT!?**_

The light enveloped the shadow, burning it to its very core. It remembered this searing pain, and it dreaded what was about to happen next. It heard a voice: it was the master's. He sounded rather…upset.

' _Take not a SINGLE step further, Presence! She WILL live, and you WILL bring her back to me!'_

Forgetting who it was speaking to, as well as what he could do to it, it replied defiantly.

' _ **NO! She must DIE!'**_

It tried to break free from the light, shadows writhing in pain as they sought a way out. They found none, and the light only burned brighter as the master continued on.

' _Do not forget your place! You are under MY rule! OBEY!'_

It resisted with every ounce of will it had left, even as the light intensified with every word. She deserved death for what she had done. Its children demanded blood for blood, and they would have it. It was only doing what every father would do to any that dared to harm their children! _She_ was the one that deserved punishment, not it!

' _ **The children DEMAND it! SHE MUST DIE!'**_

' _Your children will have their justice, but not here! OBEY!'_

The light was unforgiving; the searing pain coursing through its entire being only growing more intense with every second.

Its strength was failing; there was no resisting the master's fury. It could feel that he was about to do _that_ again. It felt something it hadn't felt in a very long time: sheer, unbridled terror.

 _ **NOT AGAIN!**_

There was no way it was going through _that_ again. It had no choice. It relented.

' _ **Very well. She lives…for now…'**_

The light began to dim, the pain coursing through it easing ever so slightly. The master maintained a stern tone as he continued on.

' _Be sure that she does. You know exactly what I will do to you if you fail. Take her pawns back as well. Leave the rest where they were.'_

' _ **It will be done, master.'**_

The light faded, the burning pain now nothing more than a dull throb. The master had turned his attention to other things; he knew that it would follow its orders, or else.

It sighed.

It returned its gaze to the Queen, who still lay unconscious: oblivious to the scene that had just unfolded before her.

 _ **You are fortunate that he wants you alive, little Queen…**_

Its shadows enveloped her, gently to ensure that it didn't draw any more of the master's ire. Fall made no move to stop it; most likely still recovering from their battle.

It spirited her away, taking her pawns as well. As for the rest, it left them behind where it found them, untouched. It also remembered the little whelp it had saved from a burial at sea earlier, taking him as well.

He had a potential use in the master's plans, and it would take little to bring him into the fold. Admittedly, it would be lying to itself if it didn't also hope that such an offering would lessen the punishment that it knew was waiting for it at the end of this; the master was never one to let any slights against him go unanswered.

With that, it set off, Vale becoming nothing more than a fading black dot on the horizon as it made its way back home.

 _ **Home.**_

It smiled. The children would be waiting for it. They would be overjoyed at their father's return. It hoped that whatever punishment the master had in mind for it, it wouldn't last too long. It needed time, after all, for its own family, and he was never one to deny it that, at least not for very long.

The child that had been burned earlier entered its thoughts. It would have to tend to that matter, too. Anger bubbled within it, but it pushed the traitorous thoughts demanding retribution away from its mind; there was no need to risk any…unfortunate incidents.

It continued onwards, its thoughts silent. There was nothing left to say.

After all, its work was done, at least for the moment.

As for what happened next, well, it could deal with that later.

Right now, it just wanted to rest.

* * *

The King

The figure's attention was away from the monitors; there was nothing left to see. The Queen had lost, as she should have, and the Presence was returning her, as well as a few others, back to him. He would have to wait for their return before anything could be done.

He had taken a great risk sending the Presence after her, something he didn't do very often. He took an even greater risk by unleashing a portion of its power towards the end of their battle. In hindsight, despite his misgivings, such may have been the right course of action, given what had happened.

He wasn't expecting her to put up such a fight, but it mattered little in the end. Of course, what _did_ matter was that it was about to kill her, and he couldn't allow that.

He had stepped in personally, reminding it of its place, as well as the punishment he could inflict upon it if it defied him. He was loathe to use such threats against one of his own (to him, a true King ruled his subjects through respect and loyalty, not fear), but he needed the Queen alive.

Of course, he couldn't hold such murderous rage against it, not after she had harmed its child. Any good father would feel the same way, had they been in the same situation. Unfortunately, there were greater things at stake here. The power of the maiden would be of great use in the future, and the loss of one child was nothing by comparison, as repulsive as the thought sounded.

The _thing_ that had wormed its way into the Queen's mind needed to be dealt with first, however. Such a task required information that he didn't have, not yet, anyways. Everything about it was an enigma, the little he knew of it coming from nothing more than a few cryptic myths and folk tales. He needed more if he was to know what he was dealing with.

In the meanwhile, he had other matters to attend to. He stepped out of the dark room, the monitors shutting off as he made his exit.

As he made his way through the corridors, his thoughts drifted on what was to come.

Dark days were coming, and he had spent centuries preparing for them. Everything he had ever done was to prepare the world of Remnant for _their_ return, and he could only hope that he had done enough to ensure that at least some would live to see the next day.

A part of him was optimistic.

Humanity had an uncanny knack for refusing to give in, even in the most daunting of crises. Even to get where they were now, they had to fight tooth and nail for every inch they reclaimed from the abominations that roamed Remnant's surface. When humanity stood together as one, everything was possible. If nothing had stopped them before, what could stop them now?

The other part of him had much different views on humanity's continued survival upon the world of Remnant.

The discovery of dust had made man strong, yet no one knew of its true power.

The power of the huntsman and huntresses was great indeed, yet even humanity's sworn defenders were not always successful against the horrors that they fought on a daily basis.

Power that could truly turn the tide, like the power of the four maidens, was being squandered: locked away in the name of "safety", abused for personal gain, or worse.

Humanity had blundered its way to its place in Remnant. Through dumb luck and stubborn defiance, it had it carved out its meager footholds against monsters like the Grimm, and even those were not above falling to threats from the both outside the walls and within.

Humanity's survival was almost comical, in a way. Hope spread like a disease amongst them, emboldening them to march foolishly to their dooms. The world of Remnant, cruel as it was, would dash these hopes as a matter of course, reminding humanity of its weakness. Yet it would never finish the job; always letting the seeds of hope take root once again, cutting them to ribbons every time they flowered into something greater.

It was a cycle of sorts, a cruel one that had gone on ever since man first drew breath on the world of Remnant, mistaken in his belief that he could thrive on a world that demanded death on a daily basis.

He sighed as the traitorous thoughts threatened to overtake him. Such thoughts had their use in tempering blind optimism, as much as he hated to admit it, but they were always something he kept wary of, lest he lose himself to despair like so many others.

In truth, it almost felt like the world of Remnant was toying with them, building their hopes to reach higher than the clouds, only to rip out the foundations and send it all crashing down in a cruel twist of fate. It was easy to fall to despair (or worse) once you lost everything to a world that offered no comfort to the downtrodden and fed on their tears.

Anger flashed within him.

He had come so close to falling like that once. He was weak, then. The world took him and broke him, over and over again. He had been forced to become something more than human, something stronger- _better_. It was through sheer will alone that he pressed on.

Every time it broke him, he put himself back together, stronger than ever.

Every time it threw him to the ground, he picked himself back up, ready for more.

Every time it demolished his hopes, he built more on top of them, better than before.

He would never stop. Not until his last breath. Not until he was the victor.

He smiled bitterly. He had fallen into the same cruel cycle that was the world of Remnant's curse upon humanity, and he knew it.

Yet he had gone through the damned thing more times than any man ever could without collapsing in on himself. Perhaps that meant something.

Maybe, just maybe, there would be a time when the cycle was broken. It could come within a year, a decade, a century, a millennium, or even longer than that. Yet one day, he was certain that _someone_ would be able to give the world of Remnant the same bitter defeat that it inflicted upon countless others, show it that humanity was more than just a plaything to be toyed with and discarded like a piece of trash. He could only hope that _someone_ was him as he defied the cruel monster that called itself Remnant.

Such was his burden to bear. Everything he had ever done, he had done out of defiance. Whether or not he was the one to finally break the cycle mattered little to him at this point. Either he would fail again, and the cycle would start anew, or he would succeed where no other had before, and he could finally find peace.

He turned away from that line of thought. That would be in the future. How far it would be, he didn't know, but for now, he had the present to attend to. He came upon a door.

The room behind it was empty, save for a console in the center. Walking over to it, he ran his hands over the display, pressing a handful of keys here and there as the lights in the room dimmed until only the center of the room had any light shining upon it.

Two holographic screens came up in front of him, each showing a face hidden in shadows. One had a mask that covered his face entirely, a glowing yellow light shining where his right eye would have been. The other wore no mask, but both of his eyes glowed with a dim red tint to them. Both of them bowed their heads respectfully to their king.

"Gentlemen. I trust all is going well?"

Both heads nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Very good. Report."

The masked one responded first.

"Sir."

His voice was practically monotone, and it carried a slightly metallic edge to it.

"The preparations are underway. We will be ready to begin the procedure within the hour. After that, we can begin whenever the Queen arrives, sir."

The king nodded, satisfied with the progress.

"Good." He turned his head to the other screen. "And…?"

"Sir."

The other man's voice sounded relatively normal, if a bit deep in tone.

"We have compiled everything we could find on the data you requested. All of it can be accessed at your leisure, sir."

Again, the king nodded. He had requested any and all information on the _thing_ in the Queen's head, and he was certain that he could find _something_ useful in the data.

"Good. Now then, it would seem like one of us missing right now."

He didn't need to ask the question such a statement entailed. The masked man spoke up to answer.

"He is…indisposed right now, sir. I don't believe he will be gone for much longer."

The king had a feeling that he shouldn't pry any further. He could wait.

"Very well. As for you two…" He turned first to the screen showing the masked man.

"Continue with the preparations. I want you to be ready to start the procedure at a moment's notice."

The man nodded.

"As you wish, sir."

He bowed his head, the screen closing a moment later. The king turned his gaze to the other screen.

"Meet me in the White Room. We have a guest we need to…entertain."

The red glow from the man's eyes brightened ever so slightly as he nodded.

"Ah…will we be giving them the… _ahem_ …"special" treatment? I haven't had a chance to do that one in quite some time…"

"Unfortunately for you, no, nothing quite like that. Just a simple mental evaluation, at least for the moment."

The red glow died down, disappointed.

"The usual, then? Oh well…maybe another time. I'll be down there in a moment, sir."

The man bowed his head, the screen closing as he did so.

Just as the king made to leave, another screen opened up, this one showing another face framed in shadows.

"Sir."

The voice sounded a bit nervous.

"You're late."

"Apologies, sir. There were some…unforeseen complications."

The king raised an eyebrow at this, ever so slightly.

"Oh, really? Like what?"

"Nothing too out of the ordinary, really. A group of thugs thought me an easy target; that was their last mistake. I made sure to avoid breaking anything too vital, though, so they'll most likely live, unfortunate as it is."

"No matter. I trust that you have done what I asked?"

"As always, sir. Every bit of data I could find on the Queen's pawns is being sent over as we speak. "

"Good. Return to base. I may need you to handle their evaluation, should any complications arise during the procedure."

The shadowed face looked away for a moment before responding.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"There was never a need to ask, old friend. What is it?"

He took a moment before asking.

"Are they really necessary in all of this? What use could they have in the plan? The Queen has her uses, to be sure, but what of the others?"

The king had pondered the answer to those questions quite some time ago. He answered immediately.

"They all have their parts to play in the days to come. As for what those parts will be, we'll find out once we've had a chance to properly examine what they're capable of. You would do well to remember that, should you find yourself the one evaluating them."

"Of course, sir. I'll be back as soon as possible."

With that, he bowed his head and closed the screen.

The king let out a tired sigh. There was always something that needed doing. No rest for the wicked, he supposed.

Already more delayed than he would have liked, he made to leave for the White Room. No need to keep his colleague waiting.

He was anticipating what was about to happen next with great interest.

After all, he had a certain grey-haired man to question.

* * *

Ozpin

For once, Ozpin had no idea what had happened. The last thing he could remember was his final attempt at stopping Cinder from getting to Amber, and how he had collapsed not a moment afterwards. Now he found himself trapped in a stark white room, strapped rather tightly to a chair that was bolted to the ground.

Needless to say, he was quite confused at the sudden gap between events. Whatever had happened, he was certain that it would make for a very interesting tale. Peter wasn't going to be the only one that could give his fair share of interesting stories.

That was assuming that he made it out of this alive, of course. Whoever had locked him into this room was thorough; he could tell that he had already been drugged with aura suppressants. As for what they wanted with him, he wasn't certain.

Information seemed the most likely motivation; his position as headmaster of Beacon made him privy to quite a few dark secrets that could prove rather damning should they be leaked. Ransom was another possibility; again a result of his position making him a very highly valued target. Perhaps-

His pondering on his situation was interrupted when he heard a click, followed by the telltale _creak_ of a door opening behind him. Turning his head, he could see a rather large fellow (likely even bigger than Mr. Daichi, from the looks of it) stepping into the room, closing the door behind him.

The man wore a simple white coat, not unlike one a doctor would wear, over a rather plain looking, navy blue button-up dress shirt and a pair of black slacks. His face was fairly unremarkable; short, dark black hair and deep red eyes (ones that seemed to have a slight glow coming from them) being the only noticeable features. Overall, aside from his massive stature and rather unusual eyes, he looked relatively normal.

"Apologies for the…ah….austerity. Normally, I'm allowed to be a much more hospitable host, but…well, precautions are needed, and all that. Again, sorry about that."

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Ah…straight to the point, I see. Well…" He bowed his head respectfully "…Doctor Robert Thalon, at your service. As for why you're here, well, I think I'll let the boss handle that part. I'm just here to keep things running nice and smoothly while he works, you see."

"Then where is he, exactly?"

"Oh, don't worry, he'll be here soon. A bit late, admittedly, but what can you do?" Another click could be heard just as he finished that statement "Ah…I believe that's him right now." He gestured back to the door, which opened shortly after.

Stepping into the room was another rather large man (though not nearly as large as…Dr. Thalon…if he had heard his name correctly), this one wearing an all-black suit with white highlights trailing across the fabric here and there. His face was much more remarkable than his attire; covered in faded scars, the most notable being a still quite visible slash across his right eye, and ever so slight wrinkles, ones that were just barely forming on his face.

The most striking thing about him were his eyes. They were largely normal at first glance, deep black in color, yet upon closer inspection, they looked…tired, almost like they had seen more than any man had any right to see in one lifetime. Combining with the other signs of age that marred his face, he looked like an old man, yet the way he carried himself spoke of a much different story.

He walked with purpose, every step taken with absolute certainty. His eyes looked different as he approached, the tiredness they had shown earlier giving way to a fire that couldn't be seen at a distance. Now that he had come closer, the eyes looked much more alive, a far cry from how they had been earlier. He looked more like a king now, his very presence demanding respect and loyalty in equal measure.

He pulled up a chair in front of Ozpin, sitting down and speaking with a voice that, like the man himself, commanded absolute respect.

"You need not fear me, old one. I am not here to harm you in any way, only to ask you some questions. May I ask for your name?"

"Ozpin. Headmaster of Beacon Academy. And you are?"

The man waved his hand absent mindedly as he replied.

"My name has long since been lost to time; it has no value to me anymore. These days, the few that know of me know me as The King. Or, if you were my associate here…" he gestured to Dr. Thalon, who had pulled out some sort of machine from his coat. "…you would say that my name is Sir. Isn't that correct, Robert?"

The man in question simply chuckled before replying.

"Whatever you say…Sir."

The barest hint of a smile could be seen on the king's face before it vanished.

"Regardless, all you need to know is that who I am serves no purpose here. What I do, on the other hand, carries much more weight."

"And what would that be?"

"You know just as well as I do that there are greater powers at work here. Dark days are coming, and humanity is not ready to face them. Not yet, anyways."

Ozpin's eyes narrowed at the statement. Of course he knew. He had spent his whole life trying to fight them.

"Indeed. But how does that relate to you?"

The man chuckled.

"You have played this game for a very long time haven't you, Ozpin? I have been playing as well, and I have been doing it for far longer than you have."

Ozpin was skeptical of the man's words. Few people could truly say that with absolute honesty, and he had no reason to believe that the so called "king" in front of him was one of them. His reply was incredulous.

"Forgive my bluntness, but I highly doubt that."

The man smiled.

"Let's dispense with the pleasantries, shall we? There is no need for such trivialities between immortals like us."

Ozpin's eyes widened. The king laughed in response.

"Oh yes…I am aware of your secret. Worry not, it is safe with me. So…you are like me, yes?"

"How? How do you-"

"I am aware of many things, Ozpin. Your scent…" He flared his nostrils slightly "…gives your years away. If my senses are not lying to me, then you have lived for…" He sniffed the air for a moment before continuing "…over a century. Am I correct?"

Ozpin could only nod in his shock.

"You are quite young, then. My associate is nearly three times your senior, and I am even more so."

"Then you exist outside of time as well? Just like me?"

He shook his head.

"Not quite. Immortality is a rather…unusual concept, to say the least. There are many ways to achieve it, and you would be hard pressed to find any two immortals that are exactly identical. Take my associate, for example."

He gestured over to Dr. Thalon, who responded simply.

"As he said, immortality comes in many forms. Mine is the result of a rather…unique reaction with the dust coursing through my blood. To put it simply, I have stopped aging, and my body has grown strong enough that physically killing me is near impossible. I am well beyond death's grasp."

The king added a remark of his own, a small smirk over his face as he spoke.

"Yet you are still not beyond mine, Robert."

The two immortals shared a short laugh before the king continued.

"You, Ozpin, are much different. Based off what I can tell, you have stopped aging because you no longer exist in the timeline. The passing of time no longer affects you, at least not physically. Age has no further relevance to you. As for how this is the case…well, there is only so much I can find based off observation alone. So I ask you this: what have you done? How have you done it?"

He wasn't even sure how to answer that. All he knew was that it had something to do with his semblance. He had questioned it at first, but after a point, he simply accepted it and moved on. He had much more important things to worry about than how time itself refused him.

"I…don't know."

"That is a pity, Ozpin. You are a rather…unique case of immortality, one that I have yet to fully grasp, in truth. To find that even you are unaware of how you did it is somewhat…disheartening."

An idea seemed to dawn on him not long after he said that.

"Perhaps…yes…perhaps there is a way to find out. Robert?"

He turned his head and looked at the man expectantly.

"Yes, sir?"

"You know what to do."

A pensive look crossed the doctor's face.

"Are you sure about this?"

The king's expression didn't change a bit.

"I am."

"Alright, then. I'll be right back."

With that, he bowed respectfully and left the room.

"Now then, Ozpin, don't worry. This won't hurt in the slightest, at least not physically."

"What exactly are you doing?"

"I will be looking into your memories. There are many things that can be learned from them, and I have no doubt that yours will be much the same." His expression turned grave. "I can tell that you've buried quite a bit of them, actually. Why?"

Ozpin narrowed his eyes, knowing exactly which ones he was referring to.

"They contain only pain."

"Then I will try to keep this brief. Don't worry, I will be as respectful as possible. The mind is a sacred thing, you see."

"Believe it or not, I would prefer that you not do that, actually."

The king smiled sadly.

"I am sorry to tell you this, but you are among a rare few people that I have virtually no information on. While I doubt that you will ever make yourself a threat to humanity, I have not made it as far as I have by leaving things to chance when I could help it. Again, I am sorry, but this has to be done."

"Then I have one thing to ask you."

"You wish to know how I have become immortal as well, don't you."

It was more a statement than a question. He nodded.

"Such is a…difficult question to answer, in truth."

"What do you mean?"

"To put it in as simple terms as can be, death itself rejects me."

"How so?"

"My apologies, but a situation like mine is a rather...difficult one to explain. I am truly immortal; death is meaningless for someone like me. As for why, well…that is the difficult part."

"Go on. I'll try to keep up."

"Like I have said earlier, I have been playing this game for a very long time. In the beginning, I was a much different man. Many words would have described me as I was back then, but the one word that stands above them all is… _weak_. Too weak to fully grasp just what was at stake. Too weak to face my fears. Too weak to protect what I held dear."

He looked away for a moment.

"I was nothing back then. This world, cruel and unforgiving, took me and broke me; forced me into becoming something more than I was. More than anything I would ever be. Somehow, through sheer force of will, I did just that. I forced myself to become stronger. Better. I never gave up, and somewhere along the way, I had become something more than human, if that makes any sense."

He smiled sadly.

"Death itself refuses to take me now; it cannot stand the sight of me. I don't blame it. I have done much in my time on this world, and not all of it good. I would end it all if I could, but something in me tells me to keep pressing forwards, and so I do."

His expression hardened.

"If it is my fate to continue like this for all eternity, then so be it. Running from it will do me no good anymore. "

He grew silent as he became lost in thought. He laughed bitterly.

"Maybe one day, I'll find peace. For now, the world of Remnant thinks to break me once more, like it had done so long ago. I won't give it the pleasure."

He sighed.

"Thank you for listening to an old man's rambling, Ozpin. Truly, you have been a wonderful guest. Again, I am sorry that I have to do what I am about to, but such is the way of things. Rest assured, I will try to make it as brief as possible."

Right on cue, Dr. Thalon came back through the door, an odd-looking machine in tow. Starting with the console, it had a series of monitors that surrounded the side that (presumably) the user would have been on. On the other side, there were a number of wires that connected into a simple looking chair, which also had some sort of headband sitting on top of it, one that similarly had a number of wires connected to it. Ozpin was quite intrigued as to what all of it was supposed to do.

"What is that? How does it help you?"

The man's face became puzzled, like he had just asked a question with an obvious answer.

"This device, you mean? It isn't for me, Ozpin. It's for you."

"What?"

"I can gaze into your memories with the same ease as reading a book. This machine allows you to see what I see."

"Why would I need to do that, exactly?"

The king's eyes narrowed.

"Do you think I am blind, Ozpin? You think to bury your pain, hoping it will go away with time. I can tell you from experience that such a thing never ends well. You must confront it if you are to finally move past it."

A brief flash of anger could be seen on Ozpin's features before he pushed it away.

"…No."

The king was undeterred.

"You don't exactly have a choice in this, my friend. This was meant to help both of us, but it can just as easily help only one of us. Either way, I will find what I need. That, I can assure you."

A conflicted look crossed the headmaster's features.

"Do you truly think you can let the past go without coming to terms with it, Ozpin?"

He didn't answer.

"Do you think you can make peace with your future without making peace with your past?"

Still nothing.

"Do you think this is what they would have wanted?"

That did it. His head dropped low, eyes pointed straight at the floor. His voice sounded weak.

"No…it isn't."

The king looked at him sympathetically.

"Then let me help. From one immortal to another."

The headmaster nodded solemnly.

"Very well. Do what you will."

"Thank you for understanding, Ozpin." He turned his head to Dr. Thalon. "Robert, if you would."

Releasing the restraints that held the headmaster to the chair, the doctor led him over to the machine, strapping him into the chair (less tightly, of course) and putting the headband on him.

Running his hands across the console, he pressed a series of keys, and the machine was soon giving off a slight hum as it turned on.

"Now then, Ozpin, I'm going to need you to go to sleep. The boss will see you on the other side."

Not giving a reply, he closed his eyes, letting sleep overtake him in an instant. It felt good to finally get some rest.

* * *

When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the stark white room. Instead, he found himself in a home. _His_ home.

It had been nearly a century since he last saw it. It still wasn't long enough.

He found himself in his living room, a very minimal amount of furniture decorating the room: he was never one for excessive aesthetics.

He was sitting on a rocking chair, two others accompanying it, one just as big as the one he was sitting on and the other much smaller. He knew the reason why they were like that, but he pushed that thought away almost immediately.

Getting up from his chair, he walked into the dining room, which also had a full view of the kitchen. Placed on the table was a simple meal, just a few unfinished eggs and slices of toast. Those were his favorite once; now he could barely bring himself to look at them.

He took a seat at the table almost subconsciously, never taking his gaze off of the kitchen, or rather, the entrance to it. He dreaded seeing what he knew was coming.

Almost exactly on cue, someone walked into the kitchen.

 _Her._

She was like an angel. Beautiful white hair that went almost down to her knees framed her lovely blue eyes, ones that promised nothing but the utmost attention and care. She carried herself with grace, her slender figure lending itself well to that end. Her face…well…there were no words that he could use to describe it, not anymore. Everything about her gave off a welcoming warmth.

She stepped into the dining room to clean the table. Her face practically radiated light as she smiled at him. He couldn't bear to look back.

Taking all the plates with her, she went back into the kitchen, placing them into the sink and setting to work on washing them.

In the corner of his eye, he could see the King sitting down across from him on the table. He also looked at the gorgeous woman at work in the kitchen. The man turned his gaze back to him.

"So…this is what you have been hiding, Ozpin."

He didn't give a reply.

"These memories…they contain only pain, yet I have yet to see anything that would cause it. Why?"

He answered, his voice hoarse.

"They…They are long gone now."

The king looked back at the woman sadly. Then the realization hit him.

"They? Do you mean…?"

He nodded solemnly.

"Yes…"

Just as he said that, someone else stepped into the kitchen. It was a child, one with beautiful white hair like his mother's. His eyes, however, were brown like his father's.

The child turned to look at him, a wide smile forming on his face as he ran over to envelop him in a loving embrace. He couldn't bear to return it. The child looked over him, concerned, but the man gave a weak smile in return, hoping that it would be enough to placate him. It seemed to work, and the child smiled happily in response before running off into the house.

The king watched the sight with a look that fell somewhere between curiosity and sadness.

"What happened?"

Just as the words left the king's mouth, the house around them gave away to a much more somber scene. They were on a hillside, the only things that could be seen were the same woman, wearing all black and looking utterly grief-stricken, and…a simple tombstone.

Ozpin looked over the scene sadly before answering.

"We lost him when he was only a child. He was taken from us by the Grimm." A choke escaped his lips. "We never even found a body to bury. She never truly recovered from the experience. Neither of us did."

The king put a hand on his shoulder sympathetically.

"I am certain that he found his rightful place in the next life."

Ozpin laughed bitterly.

"Well, at least he's not alone anymore."

"What?"

The scene changed again. Now they were back in the house, but this time, it was in a severe state of disrepair. Most of the house was dilapidated, but that wasn't what drew the most attention from the two of them.

There was a simple shrine in the living room, one that had two pictures placed in the center of the altar.

One showed the child.

The other showed the woman.

There was a brief flash of surprise over the king's face before he recomposed himself.

"How?"

"How, you ask?" He smiled bitterly. "She couldn't bear to leave him alone. She disappeared not long after we lost him. I can only assume that they are together now."

"And yet, you are still here. Why?"

A stern look crossed the headmaster's features.

The scene changed to an empty field.

"I don't deserve it. Not anymore."

The king looked over him, taking in his words.

"It was not your fault, Ozpin."

That seemed to set something off in him.

"Not my fault!? I failed them! As a husband and a father! They're gone now, and nothing I do will bring them back!"

The empty field gave way to the house, though they were outside this time. Something looked…off about the house, like it was about to crumble to dust before their very eyes.

And so it did.

In the blink of an eye the entire structure quite literally turned to dust, and all that was left was nothing but an empty field of dirt… and a much younger looking Ozpin, completely overcome by emotions ranging from anger to grief to despair.

The older one looked at the sight with bitter hatred in his eyes.

"I lost control that day. Everything I had left crumbled away before my very eyes. I had nothing."

"Then why do you stay?"

"Because I don't deserve the peace that they received."

Anger flashed across the king's eyes.

"That is not what they would have wanted, Ozpin! Do you think punishing yourself like this will earn you penance!?"

"No… of course it won't. But I don't care. I made my choice a very long time ago. It appears that time itself agrees with me." He laughed, though there was no mirth behind it. "Now I am trapped in this life, and I will never find true peace. Not even death will end it, as I will just disappear entirely, forgotten among the waves of time."

The king looked at him sadly.

"If that is your choice, then I will respect it. I can only hope that you find peace someday, Ozpin."

"Perhaps…but I doubt it."

The king sighed.

"Very well, then. We are done here. Wake up, and you will be free to do as you please."

Ozpin looked over his younger self one last time before turning away. Not long after, he could feel consciousness returning to him. He looked over to the king, who was watching him intently.

"Thank you."

* * *

With that, he opened his eyes, and he was back in the same white room again. Dr. Thalon seemed to be looking over the monitors on the machine with great interest. Then he noticed that Ozpin had woken up, and he made to release the restraints holding him to the chair, talking all the while.

"So that's how you became like us…interesting. Well, if that's how you want things to be, then far be it from me to stop you."

"Am I free to go?"

He shrugged. "Well, if the boss said so, then there's not much I can do to stop you. I'm not _that_ stupid, after all."

He got up from the chair, and he made for the door. Just before he could walk out, the king spoke up.

"Do you plan on returning to Vale, Ozpin? If you are, then I can he-"

"No. I can find my own way back just fine."

"Fine, then. At the very least, let Robert escort you out. He can show you the way and point you in the right direction. Also, if you ever need anything, Ozpin, my door will always be open."

He considered the offer before accepting.

"Alright. I suppose I could use some help in leaving this place, and I'll be sure to keep your offer in mind in the future."

The king smiled in response, holding out a hand.

"That is all I can ask. Take care of yourself, Ozpin. We may see each other again someday."

Ozpin gave a smile of his own and accepted the outstretched hand.

"Likewise."

The two shared a firm handshake before Ozpin left the room with Dr. Thalon in tow.

It wasn't long before they made it out of the building. They were in a relatively empty field, flowers scattered about here and there and the trees shedding their autumn leaves with the blowing of the wind.

"Alright, then. Vale should be just a few days journey that way." He pointed at a road, and the distant outline of Vale could be seen in the distance. "Just stick to the road, and you should be just fine."

"Thank you. Well, I believe I should be on my way. Pass my thanks on to your king, as well."

The doctor shrugged.

"Oh, don't worry, he knows. To be honest, the boss sees a lot of things, and I'm sure that he'll be keeping his eyes on you. Speaking of which…" He reached into his coat, pulling out Ozpin's cane and giving it to him "…I should probably give this to you before I forget and get another earful." He gave a slight chuckle at that, probably recalling a similar incident or something like that.

"Thanks again. I'll be going now."

"Sure thing, pal. Remember, our door is always open."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

"Well, off you go, then. Far be it from me to hold you up."

With that, he began making his way back into the building, one hand waving behind him as the door closed.

Setting off on the path, Ozpin set his sights on Vale in the distance. He could use his semblance to make the journey faster, though he felt no urgent need for that. Vale appeared to be safe, given the lack of massive columns of fire and smoke, not to mention the conspicuous absence of the invading Grimm. There was no need to rush, at least not for the moment.

He sighed. The journey back would take quite some time, it would seem. That suited him just fine.

After all, he had a lot to think about.

* * *

The King

The king was looking over the machine they had connected Ozpin to earlier. The monitors had recorded everything, and now came the task of finding out just what all the data meant.

Dr. Thalon came back into the room, a pensive look over his face.

"He certainly is an interesting one, isn't he, Robert?"

He sighed.

"You could say that. Can't really put a finger on why he's doing what he's doing, but then again, it's not really my place to question it."

"In fairness, even he doesn't seem completely aware of what he is doing."

He raised an eyebrow at this.

"Oh, really? Is that what the recordings are telling you?"

The king nodded.

"Indeed. Take a look at this."

He pointed at one of the monitors, this one showing the younger Ozpin as he lost control over his semblance and turned his home to dust. The doctor reviewed the scene with a look of understanding.

"Figures. Semblances can do some very interesting things when emotions get involved. You think that has something to do with it, sir?"

"I know it. Whatever had happened to him back then, it was enough to push his semblance far past its normal limits. From the looks of it, he's not even aware of his semblance freezing time around him."

"Or maybe he does know it, and he's keeping it that way out of choice. That seems just as likely doesn't it? Given his rather…unfortunate mental status right now, I wouldn't put it past him."

The king sighed.

"Perhaps. It is a pity that he blames himself for the tragedies that befell him. I can only hope that he learns to move past them, someday."

"That's not exactly something that people can just do, sir. He's had decades to come to terms with it, yet all he's done is buried them deeper."

"Then it appears that all we've done is dig them back up. Let's hope that something will come of that, for better or for worse."

"Yeah... let's hope."

"Now then, Robert, did you remember to return his cane to him?"

The man shrugged.

"Sure did. Why?"

"Good. Now I have a direct link with him, should I ever need to use it."

The doctor laughed.

"I thought you were going to do something like that. It's always precautions with you, isn't it, sir?"

"I didn't get to where I am today by taking risks, Robert. While I doubt that he'll pose any threat to our plans, I've never been one to leave things to chance."

"You don't need to tell me twice. Immortals like him are the real wildcards in this little game we're playing."

The king chuckled.

"That they are, Robert. That they are..."

The two immortals shared in a short moment of silence before one of them spoke up.

"So...now what?"

"For now, we wait. The Presence has yet to return with the Queen and her pawns, and there is little else we can do for the moment."

"Cinder certainly has put a real damper on our plans, hasn't she?"

"Nothing too problematic, to be truthful. Whatever damage she has done can be undone, given enough time. What concerns me, however, is what I will do with her."

"You're talking about that worm in her head, aren't you?"

He nodded.

"Removing it will be difficult, especially if I can't convince Fall to stand down. Then there's the matter of removing all the lies it created..."

He sighed tiredly.

"Well, I'm sure you can figure out a way to make it work, sir. You figured out how to get _me_ on board with your little game, didn't you?" The two of them laughed at that.

"In the meanwhile, maybe you should get some rest. You've been working hard for quite some time, now. The others and I can hold the fort just fine until she comes back."

"That would be nice, but it'll have to wait. My work is more important than my sleep, unfortunately."

"Anything you need from me, sir?"

The king considered the offer for a moment before answering.

"If it isn't too much trouble, I need someone to look over the files on the Queen's pawns. Can I trust you to do that?"

"Sure thing. Shouldn't be too much trouble, actually."

"Thank you, Robert. I'll send them over to you shortly. If you find anything of note, report it to me immediately."

"Of course, sir."

With that, the king left the room, the doctor following soon after. Neither said a word as they split up to continue with their work.

 _No rest for the wicked_ indeed.

* * *

Raven Branwen

Deep in the woods surrounding Vale, a lone masked woman was meditating in a clearing. She sat stock still, unmoving even as a group of Beowolves moved to encircle her, a hungry look in their eyes. Just as she opened her eyes, they made their move.

Each of them lunged at her at the same time, and she rolled back before they could sink their teeth into her. In an eye blink, she drew her sword and sliced one of the hungry Grimm in half in a clean, fluid motion, re-sheathing the blade just as quickly.

The others were undeterred at the sight, only growling in response. These were some of the younger ones, from the looks of it. Any older ones would have recognized that they were clearly outmatched and run away.

Instead, one particularly boisterous Beowolf roared defiantly, charging at the masked woman, whose hand was placed firmly over the hilt of her sword. She didn't even bother looking at it as she drew her sword again and carved the beast in two, its body dissolving before it even hit the ground.

There were only three Beowolves left now, and none of them were going to back down. The woman sighed; she didn't have time for this. Spinning the chamber in her sheathe, she switched the red dust blade with a blue one, drawing the sword just as each of them lunged at her again.

With a single lightning-quick swing, all three of them found themselves cut clean in half, ice forming across their midsections as they dropped to the ground. They evaporated not long after.

With that, the clearing was empty again, save for the masked woman who looked past the trees and over to Vale in the distance.

Raven Branwen was never one to let a sense of foreboding get to her, but even she couldn't deny that something felt off about what had happened in Vale.

First came the death of the primal Grimm buried underneath the mountain. Her masters had sent her to awaken it, yet before she even came anywhere near it, she could feel _something_ else waking it up, fighting it, and eventually killing it.

Then there was the voice that had assaulted every mind in Vale, dull and droning even as it devoured the minds of the Grimm and rendered almost everyone else unconscious. Her own mind had been pushed to its absolute limits as it tried to fight off the growing blackness that threatened to overtake her vision. She hadn't felt anything like it, and she doubted that she would ever want to feel it again.

Perhaps most stunning of all, however, was the great battle in the skies that shook the world of Remnant to its core. Two titanic dragons had squared off in the skies over Vale, both commanding power that, had she not already been aware of even greater powers, she would have been utterly awe-inspired at. Their battle culminated in a massive explosion that engulfed them both, and all became eerily quiet afterwards, at least until some people began to regain consciousness.

She didn't stay around for long, teleporting away with a slash of her sword. She needed to report back to her masters. She knew they wouldn't be pleased with how things turned out.

Perhaps that was why she was avoiding them for the moment. Such was a rather interesting idea, given that they knew where she was at all times (she carried their mark, after all), but she was not very keen on giving them the bad news and coming back empty handed.

She had been sent to make use of an opportunity. The Grimm in Vale had been whipped into a frenzy, spurring them to invade Vale with the fury of a tidal wave. In the chaos, she was to awaken the primal Grimm underneath the mountain and bring it into the fold. She was to gather as much information as she could while the kingdom's defenders desperately fought to protect their homes. She was to cause as much panic and confusion as possible, the resulting negativity such would create intended to attract even more Grimm to the invasion.

In the end, she had done none of that. In fact, she never even stepped foot in Vale. Something felt…wrong about all of it, like some invisible force had invaded the kingdom in a way that not even the Grimm could mimic. Her suspicions only became more well-founded as she could feel the death of the primal, followed by the attack of the voice, and then the battle between two angry titans in the skies.

In the end, she had failed her mission, and she had nothing to show for it.

They would _not_ be happy. _Not at all._

She shuddered at the prospect of what her punishment would be.

Then she heard a rustling in the bushes, turning her attention to the source of the sound.

Emerging from the foliage was a Beowolf Alpha, but it looked different from the others. Its eyes were glowing a deep red, deeper than that of any normal Grimm.

There was no mistaking it; they had found her. The red glow in the beast's eyes grew even brighter as it approached.

She heard a voice speaking to her. It sounded feminine: silky and smooth as it addressed her.

" **Why do you run from us, Raven?"**

Another voice spoke up. It sounded angrier than the previous one.

" **Do you think you can escape our wrath!?"**

Another voice, this one calm, yet with a stern edge to it.

" **You are lucky, Raven. We have elected to grant you a second chance. Succeed, and all is forgiven. Fail, and know our fury."**

She wasn't going to question her good fortune.

"What would you have me do?"

The voice spoke, and the Beowolf in front of her turned its head, like it was trying to point her towards something.

" **There has been a certain…unexpected guest in the lands to the south. She has power like our own, and she wishes to make an audience with us."**

The angry voice spoke up.

" **Bring her to us, and we may yet forgive you for your failure."**

The first voice spoke. It sounded almost concerned.

" **Caution, Raven. She is dangerous, just like us. Do not provoke her, if you can avoid it."**

She clung to every word. There was no telling what hidden meanings were potentially behind them.

"It will be done."

The calm voice answered.

" **Very well. Good hunting, Raven. We shall await your return."**

With that, the possessed alpha collapsed to the ground, its body dissolving not a moment after.

Raven looked over in the direction it had pointed its head earlier. That way took her deep into the southern continent, the part that the kingdoms collectively referred to as the Grimmlands. Her masters scoffed at the name when she told them of it some time ago, stating that they were nothing, at least not compared to the "old days", as they had referred to it.

Regardless, if that was where they wanted her to go, then she would go without question. With a swing of her sword, she created a portal that would take her there, visualizing the point of her arrival on the other side.

Fortune was on her side, it seemed. Her masters had given her a chance at redemption, something they very rarely did.

Behind her mask, a ghost of a smile could be seen.

She had already failed once: she wouldn't fail again.

With that, she stepped into the portal, and it closed behind her.

* * *

AN: Well, what do you know? Things seem to be happening right now.

As you can see, it looks like Cinder's lost her fight with the Presence and is now being taken back to the King. Of course, he's planning to get a proper look at fixing her head, so there's that to watch out for.

Next up is what's going on with Ozpin. If you think this is where his involvement in the plot ends, you're sadly mistaken. If you think there's more to his backstory than just people that I've killed off to add drama, then you're absolutely right. Here's a hint, because I'm nice like that: Salem's involved. That is all I'll say on the subject.

Finally, we've got Raven. You'll probably be asking questions along the lines of "Who are her masters?" or "Who is she being sent to bring back?". The latter should be pretty obvious, in all honesty (hint: pay attention to the word "she"). As for the former, well, that's spoiler territory, so my lips are sealed on that topic. Have to keep at least a few secrets, right?

Well, there's my short recap of everything. Thank you very much for reading, and please don't hesitate to leave a review stating what you thought or to send any questions you have my way. Thanks again, and stay safe.


	11. Chapter 11: Clearing The Board

AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! This chapter is a little bit on the short side, especially compared to the last one, but I think I was able to pack quite a bit of important plot developments into it, so there's that.

Well, since I don't have much else to say, without further ado, I present chapter 11 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

The King

He was in the dark room filled with monitors again. He had been called for a…"emergency meeting", as the councils preferred to call it. He preferred to call them "interrogations". It wasn't very long before he remembered why such was the case.

"…I understand your concerns, but I can assure you all that I have everything under control."

The councilmen from Vale scoffed at his words.

"Under control? Tell that to all the people that were killed, and see what they think! This was not, and I would like to emphasize that, _not_ what we had in mind when we accepted your help."

Mistral's councilmen were somewhat less harsh, though only somewhat.

"The attack on Vale lies on your shoulders, King. Their blood rests on your hands, and yours alone."

The king merely sighed before responding. They were telling him things he already knew.

"What's done is done. Nothing I can do will bring the dead back. All I can promise is that their loss will not be forgotten."

The Atlesian council was not at all placated by his words. Truthfully, none of them were: they were just better at hiding it.

"We will need more than that, King. This attack came from one of your own: Cinder Fall must face judgement for what she has done! Give her to us, and we will ensure that everyone receives their fair justice."

The mere thought of the Queen being in their hands was more than enough to enrage him. His words dripped with cold, barely contained fury as he answered back.

"The Queen is _my_ charge. I, and I alone, will be the one to oversee her punishment. There will be _no_ room for negotiation on this."

His tone darkened, almost like he was challenging them.

" _Do I make myself clear?"_

They all exchanged looks with each other, unsure of the prospects of them surviving the king's wrath: they had seen the footage of the Presence's battle with Fall. Most of them were left utterly speechless throughout the whole thing.

They weren't stupid, as much as the king liked to think they were. They knew exactly what they needed to do if they wanted to make it out of this "meeting" alive.

"Very well. We will leave her in your…capable hands. We are certain that our trust isn't being misplaced."

The king was growing tired of their games. He responded coldly.

"I can assure you that it isn't, councilors. Is there anything else you need me for? Or can I finally get back to my work?"

Their answer would determine whether or not he needed to start looking for their replacements.

"Nothing at all. We only wished to-"

"Then it is settled. Goodbye."

Unfortunately, they would live for now. Finding their replacements would be too much work for the moment. He cut the transmission off without a second thought.

 _Politics._ So tiresome.

The councils had their uses, of course, but politicians were a fickle bunch. One moment, they were praising you for your "hard work" and "dedication". The next, they were admonishing you for the exact same things, just worded somewhat differently. Some days, he wanted nothing more than to do away with them entirely.

Alas, they were too useful to simply be thrown away. For all their faults, the councils had the security of their kingdoms at heart, however misguided they may have been in pursuit of that goal. They knew all too well how important order was to maintaining humanity's safety from the Grimm (case in point being Atlas, of course).

Order countered chaos, after all, and chaos led to hatred and fear, amongst other things, all of it serving as nothing more than a lure for the Grimm. Whether it have been through propaganda, backroom deals, and all sorts of other…distasteful means, the councils would never let chaos reign, lest it bring ruin to them all.

The Queen had thrown quite a wrench into that status quo, of course, but such mattered little, given what was to come. Whatever she had done would look downright _preferable_ in comparison to what _they_ would be doing, after all.

It was a good thing that he kept them out of the loop: there was no telling what they would do if they were ever taken out of their blissful ignorance.

Humanity just wasn't ready, not yet, anyways.

He sighed: he would have to change that.

In truth, he had already been working to change it for centuries. He had made progress, to be sure, but it wasn't enough. Time was running out, and he wasn't sure if he had enough left. He could only hope that he did.

He wished that the Queen would come sooner: he would welcome the distraction gladly.

There was also the fact that, for once, he had nothing to do. Certainly, he could be making preparations for all sorts of things, but only a small part of him was considering actually doing that. The rest of him, to put it simply, was just really tired right now. Robert might have been on to something earlier.

Speaking of Robert...

Maybe he could help Robert out with sorting through the data they had gathered on the Queen's pawns. The man wasn't exactly the sort of person that liked that kind of job, but he had been kind enough to offer anyways. It was only fair that he help out in return.

Then again, the man did say he should get some rest...

Dust knew how long he'd gone without it.

Granted, he was immortal, so sleep wasn't a vital necessity to him like it was to many others, but the feeling that he needed to rest every now and then never truly went away, even after all this time.

It would feel good to finally be able to just sit down without having to think about what would happen next, what else he would have to do in regards to his work.

He liked the thought of it: he could indulge in this small pleasure, at least until the Queen returned. His work had gone on for centuries: surely he could take an hour of two for himself, couldn't he?

Robert would be _just_ _fine_ on his own…

* * *

Robert Thalon

If there was one thing that Robert Thalon hated like nothing else, it was a desk job. Sure, they were important and all that, but that didn't make it any more appealing to do. In truth, it really only served to make him want to do it even less.

"Oh well…"

Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to actually not do it, especially not when the order came directly from the king himself. Going against him was just asking for trouble, and he liked to think that he was just a _little_ bit smarter than that.

Honestly, he wouldn't have minded just being able to read over the files: that was the exciting part. What wasn't so enjoyable was the fact that he had to write down every little thing that seemed important, and when you were looking to recruit people into a secret organization that protected humanity from the shadows (literally, in the case of The Presence), even the smallest of details could have some use.

In hindsight, he really should have kept his mouth shut earlier. Maybe then, he wouldn't be doing something that didn't exactly fit into his job description. Sure, it seemed like a good idea to help lighten his friend's workload at the time, and he certainly hoped that the man had taken the hint and made some time for himself, but busywork like this was absolutely _not_ his cup of tea.

He was the sort of person that preferred to be in the lab, where all the real work was being done. The king had recruited him because he was the kind of man that had ideas, ones that were sometimes so ridiculous, that trying to make them work was like trying to play with Red Dust without getting your hair singed. How could he do any of that if he were stuck behind a Dust-damned desk?

He sighed.

The sooner he could get this over with, the sooner he could get back to his own work. Those experimental Dust serums wouldn't synthesize themselves, after all, and there was no way he was going to let anyone else try mixing pure Red Dust, arguably one of the most volatile substances on Remnant, with Yellow Dust, where one wrong move could send off sparks that more often than not lead to some rather…messy accidents. Letting anyone else try working with Dust like that was just a disaster waiting to happen.

"Speaking of Dust…"

He pulled out a loaded syringe from his coat; it was time for his monthly dosage.

Normally, he wouldn't even need to go about doing it like this, but he was away from his lab at the moment, so he had to go with the old fashioned method. The needle found its mark easily: the contents filtering their way through his bloodstream in no time at all.

The Dust serum that had given him what was effectively immortality had an odd tendency to break down over time in his bloodstream, and he would always need more if he wanted to stay alive. Granted, it had the even more unfortunate effect of killing anyone else that tried using it (well, with the stipulation that they were actually capable of dying in the first place: the king was rather unamused when he became an "accidental" test subject), so he wasn't going to complain. Manufacturing more of it was easy enough, thankfully, so he very rarely found himself worrying about not having it on hand at all times.

"Back to work, I guess…"

He returned his attention to the screens showing the data in front of him.

He had to admit, for all her other faults, Cinder had an eye for talent. These pawns she had gathered were most definitely a cut above the rank and file, and he was certain that they would have plenty of use.

He was quite shocked when he found that she had managed to bring one Adam Taurus into her plans, admittedly through some rather…aggressive recruitment, but the feat was impressive nonetheless.

Having a high ranking White Fang like him on their payroll would certainly provide a number of opportunities, and the man himself was no pushover, either. Getting him to work with humans, though, could be a real challenge. Sure, he was more than capable of being civil with them, but there was no way he'd be willing to entrust his life to anyone that wasn't a Faunus.

They'd have to work with that. Monsters like the Grimm were rather…impartial to little things like civil rights, and the distinctions between Faunus and human were minimal at best to them. Perhaps a very special session in the White Room was in order, though he'd need express permission from the king if he was going to do _that_ again.

Next came the street rat turned master thief, one Emerald Sustrai.

Admittedly, a thief wasn't necessarily the most versatile tool they would want to have in their arsenal, but every piece had its place in the puzzle, and she was no different. A semblance like hers was a rare one, indeed, and it would be a waste not to put it to work. The king would certainly find a use for her, wherever it was. And of course, if they ever needed someone that preferred the stealthy approach, she'd be perfect for the job.

A rather significant contrast with the approach of her partner, one Mercury Black.

He was an assassin by trade, personally trained by one Marcus Black. His father's rather…unfortunate passing had sent ripples throughout the criminal underworlds of the four kingdoms as various would be hitmen tried to fill the vacuum he left behind.

Of course, the son that had killed him cared little for all of this, and any of the idiots that thought of ending the Black family line by killing him quickly learned why he was the one that had managed to kill his father.

He was a fighter, through and through. Dangerous was the word that described him best, and not just for his enemies: his loyalties laid only with himself, and his allies could become his enemies in a heartbeat if there was enough in it for him.

People like him were unpredictable disasters just waiting to happen. Admittedly, such a trait could prove quite useful, if they could point him in the right direction. Making use of him would be a high-risk, high reward kind of gamble, and though the king never fancied himself a gambling man, there were some things that you just had to take a bet on.

Speaking of gambling men, one Roman Torchwick had taken more gambles than he cared to count, and he had an uncanny tendency to win even when he lost.

Not bad for a runaway from Atlas. Ranked at the top of his class at Atlas Academy and one of the best pilots in all of Remnant, he was practically a shoo-in for great things. Then he decided to run from it all.

A man had his reasons, of course. He didn't care for the great things others were going to make him do: he cared for the great things that _he_ wanted to do. Atlas was practically the antithesis of the freedom he wanted, and so he ran from it.

His new life in Vale seemed to suit him well. He had missed his calling, admittedly, but he could play the part of master criminal quite well. If he could figure out a way to incorporate master pilot into his persona, then he'd have everything he'd ever need.

Everything, including a family to call his own.

The girl he had taken in his as his daughter, Neopolitan (he wasn't sure if he should add Torchwick to that) was a truly perplexing one.

Unlike everyone else, there was almost nothing in the files on her. Information on who she was or where she came from was either nonexistent, or so deeply classified that even the king's massive intelligence network couldn't find it. He wasn't sure which troubled him the most, in truth.

"Oh dear…"

He looked over the few files they had on her again, and he found something that gave him pause. The file spoke of something titled "The Ascension Initiative", but that wasn't what drew his attention.

It had a picture, one showing the project's head researcher.

There was no mistaking that face, no matter how much the man had tried to change it. Those cold amber eyes were the kind of thing one could never forget, after all.

The file referred to him as Doctor Onyx Blackwell, a complete fabrication, of course: he knew the man by a much different name.

 _Doctor Richard Fall_

He shuddered at the mere mention of it: that name was a much hated one amongst the very small group consisting of himself, the king, and a few others. He thought that they were rid of him for good. To think that such wasn't the case, well…

"That's not good…not good at all…"

The king would need to know of this.

The dust serums could wait. Nothing else mattered: this report needed to be finished _now_.

As for the girl, however, he had no idea what would happen to her. Taking her connection to one Dr. Fall into account, the answer _should_ have been obvious, but he wasn't so sure anymore.

He looked over a picture showing father and daughter, and his heart grew heavy.

Ultimately, the king had the final say on such a matter, but…

He sighed sadly: protocol dictated a very specific action in this instance.

He wrote the final words on the report with his pen, his hand uneasy…

Damn that man for forcing him to do this.

 _ **Neopolitan-**_ _ **Recommend Immediate Termination**_

 _ **Signed,**_

 _ **Dr. Robert Thalon**_

* * *

Raven Branwen

In a clearing in one of the numerous forests that dotted the southern continent, a black and red portal opened itself, a dark aura pulsing in and out of it. Most of the Grimm in the vicinity were driven away by its sudden appearance, but a few brave (or stupid, there really wasn't that much of a difference) ones moved closer to the portal, still undeterred from their course as a masked woman stepped out of the portal.

Some eyed her curiously, others growled at her as a warning. She didn't react in the slightest, continuing on with a casual stroll as the portal closed behind her.

The Grimm were growing restless. They shifted about, wary of the sudden intruder upon their territory. She was a human, yet her scent carried the taste of a Grimm. They had never seen anything like her, and they were unsure of what to do.

They could attack her like they would any other, but they were uncertain of the outcome of such a fight. They could run, but such would lose them much prestige amongst their fellow Grimm. Such an act would make them look like easy prey, and there was nothing deadlier than looking weak in the Grimmlands, a place where it was either kill or be killed.

They all made their choice in an instant when she drew her sword, the blade extending to nearly double its length as it left the sheathe. Each of them lunged at her, intent on claiming the kill for their own. Not one of them lived long enough to curse their own folly. With a single swing, all of them had been cut in two, their bodies starting to evaporate the instant they hit the ground. The woman re-sheathed her blade, eyes narrowed on the decaying Grimm remains.

 _Dumb animals._

Raven rarely insulted her opponents, no matter who they were, but even she couldn't resist the urge to ridicule their stupidity. Young Grimm were always so reckless, so willing to charge into battle without a care for their own safety.

They were victims of their nature, really. It took years before a Grimm's mind could gain even the most rudimentary of intellects, and in those years, nothing but pure animal instinct dictated their every action.

Older Grimm were much more dangerous, more than capable of restraint if the situation called for it. They were capable of creating plans that the younger ones would find utterly incomprehensible, plans that ensnared unwary prey without mercy. Ultimately, of course, they were just as driven by their killer instincts as their younger fellows; they just got better at hiding it as they grew older.

The eldest of Grimm were practically sentient beings all their own. Centuries of life gave them vast experience and wisdom, and all of it served them well as they plotted on things greater than just their next kill. With age came perspective, after all, and the Grimm were no different. Killing became a means to an end once they reached the right age. Their base urges were all but buried by this point, replaced by a dangerous intelligence that desired nothing less than humanity's complete obliteration.

Age was the key to all of this.

Age brought strength, both in mind and body.

Age turned a Grimm from a mere animal to something much more dangerous.

Age brought vision to their minds, made them capable of seeing the bigger picture, and there were no other Grimm that could see it better than the primals.

Their existence had been one of Remnant's darkest and most well-kept secrets. Ancient was one of the words that described them best: even the oldest of the known Grimm looked like _newborns_ in comparison to them. They well and truly predated the kingdoms, and some even predated humanity itself.

Their long, _long_ lives were matched only by the danger they posed. Each of them commanded power that easily rivaled that of gods. Their minds were in a league of their own: untold millennia of experience had expanded their minds beyond all recognition, mere sentience turning into an unholy fusion of sinister intelligence, insidious cunning, and relentless brutality. Their martial prowess combined with their deep intellect, creating a nigh unstoppable engine of devastation.

Remnant was theirs once. Humanity was nothing back then, forced to huddle in the dark corners of the world: hoping against hope that they could hide from their fury.

Perhaps if they hadn't spent more time fighting each other, the primals would've still ruled the world of Remnant today. They had grown past the base desire for humanity's destruction, instead seeking to make the world of Remnant theirs, and theirs alone.

Each of them had carved out a piece of the world for themselves, splitting the world into hundreds of kingdoms, and the daily wars between them shook the world to its very core. The wars were always in full force, even towards the very end of the primals' rule over the world of Remnant.

Humanity had ridden the storm, clinging desperately to life as the gods waged war around them. In its darkest hour, a hero had arisen to lead humanity out of the darkness.

At least, that's what the legends would have one believe.

The details had been lost to the ravages of time, the fall of the primals becoming nothing more than a forgotten legend to modern humanity.

According to the ancient histories of man, the hero had gained powers beyond all comprehension, beyond that of even the primals, though none knew how. Wielding these powers, he split the kingdoms of the primals asunder, driving them from the world of Remnant and back into the hell that spawned them. The hero had sealed himself in with them, locking himself in an eternal battle with every last one of the primals, all to ensure that they would never return to the world of Remnant. And from the ashes of a world broken by millennia of war, humanity emerged victorious, ready to reclaim the world that had been left for them.

 _All utter lies._

She knew the truth. Her masters knew of it, after all, and they had graced her with this knowledge for her service.

There was indeed a hero that commanded powers that matched that of the primals, but he was not the reason for their fall. He had managed to fell a handful of primals that had underestimated him, impressively enough, but the others soon learned from those mistakes and tore him to shreds for his defiance. No, he was nothing but a mere ant in comparison to the voice that whispered to each and every one of them.

Every word it whispered into their ears promised of greatness, of power beyond all others. It poisoned their thoughts. It demanded total obedience with its words. Not one of them could refuse it: the voice was too compelling, too strong for even their great minds to resist.

It made them sleep. It made no mention of how long, only that it needed them for something great. They complied without question, utterly dominated by its will. Retreating beneath the surface and into the depths of Remnant, they slumbered for untold millennia. In their absence, their kingdoms crumbled, and humanity had been allowed to thrive in complete ignorance of their great fortune.

Their sleep did not stop their growth, however. The primals had grown even more powerful as they slept entire centuries away: some of them had grown strong enough to resist the voice, strong enough to break the chains holding them to its will. And so, their ages long slumber ended, and they awoke to a world that was no longer their own.

That did not sit well with them. Remnant was theirs once: it would be again.

They were not fools, however. The world they had woken up to was a much different one than the world they had fallen asleep in. Much had changed in the millennia they had slept away, and they were more than willing to bide their time until they knew the full extent of these changes.

More importantly, however, they were waiting for the voice's return. It had grown silent during their slumber, but they knew that wouldn't last. They would not be played for fools like they were so long ago, not this time. They would be ready for it.

Of course, she cared nothing for their vengeance: she had her own goals in mind.

Her masters had been awake for almost a century by the time she came to them all those years ago. She wanted their power, and they were more than willing to give it to her, for a price. She would serve them, and they would give her what she needed.

She had no intention of staying their servant forever, though. She would find a way to make their power her own. Then she could make her new world a reality.

That would come later, of course. Right now, she would bide her time. An opportunity would present itself one day, and she would strike without mercy once it came.

Her reflection on the future had taken longer than she thought: she could tell that several Grimm were watching her from just beyond the tree line, thinking they were out of her sight.

They were completely wrong in that assumption: she was far more dangerous than they would've thought possible for a mere human.

Her masters had given her a gift for her "loyal" service, after all. They had given her their mark, and it gave her power: not quite on their level, of course, but power nonetheless. They weren't fools, however: their gift had come with a rather…bothersome string attached.

No Grimm could hide from her eyes, yet neither could she hide from theirs. The mark gave her away, her every movement capable of being watched like she was a dog on a leash. While she doubted that she was truly being monitored every second of every day, it made her private efforts against them much more difficult to hide.

On the other hand, it was a rather small sacrifice to be made, compared to the other powers it had given her.

One of them was the power to command the Grimm. Of course, not every Grimm would simply obey her will: only the ones that were the spawn of her masters would listen to her, and even then, the older ones could disobey her commands, should such be deemed necessary. Any Grimm that did not already listen to her would have to be dominated to her will.

She turned her eyes to face the Grimm in hiding. Most of the older ones had fled at the sight of her, more than capable of recognizing the danger she posed, but one Ursa Alpha had let its curiosity get the best of it. It roared at her, charging out of the shadows in a full sprint towards her.

She didn't move in the slightest, instead focusing her eyes on the ones of the rapidly approaching Ursa. Its mind was strong, to be sure, but it was nowhere near strong enough to resist her. It halted dead in its tracks, the glow in its eyes darkening as she dominated it to her will.

She walked over to it and began to look into its memories.

Another benefit her masters' mark had provided to her was the ability to look into the minds of the Grimm under her command. Such helped immensely when she needed information on a new location: all she would need to do was dominate the local Grimm to learn what they knew of the general area, as well as any other potentially useful pieces of information their minds might have contained.

The Ursa's memories showed her everything she needed. They showed a mysterious woman, one with deathly pale skin, equally pale hair, and red eyes. The beast had trailed the woman, stopping only when she entered a cave that it had no intention of going into. It had stayed for a while before losing interest, wandering aimlessly until its interest was piqued by the sight of a strange red and black portal...

That cave was likely her best chance at finding the woman her masters had sent her to retrieve, and she now had a clear visualization of her destination for the creation of a portal, another power that the mark had granted to her.

Wasting no time lest she let the woman escape, she swung her sword to create the portal, stepping through not a moment after it opened. It closed behind her, leaving the clearing empty once again.

* * *

The Presence

 _ **What?**_

It could feel the Queen and her pawns stirring. It would only be a matter of time before they tried wrestling their way out of its shadows, and it couldn't allow that. Not until they made it home.

 _ **More time.**_

They were still an hour or two away. Normally, a short distance like this would have taken it mere seconds to travel, but carrying even a single person made it much harder for it travel anywhere, let alone seven of them. Added on with the lingering exhaustion it felt from earlier, and what was once a short journey rapidly turned into a much, _much_ lengthier affair.

And that was only when they were all unconscious. Now that they were beginning to awaken, they would no doubt try to fight their way out, and it would have to divert its attention towards keeping them from escaping the grasp of its shadows.

Any that did manage to break free would be looking at a rather…unpleasant landing as they plummeted several hundred feet to the ground below. Normally, it would be amused at such things, but it needed them alive if it were to avoid drawing the master's wrath any further than it already had.

 _ **How troublesome.**_

They were like some of its more…unruly children, in truth. Always defiant, even when they were calmly (yet firmly) reminded of their place. They always had a tendency to band against it whenever it put its metaphorical foot down, and such was always a constant source of headaches. It sighed: it loved each of its children like any good father should, but some of them were just too much to handle at times.

Perhaps it could introduce them to each other: that would certainly be a day to remember. Then again, what would be considered a play date for its children would be a death sentence for their unfortunate playmates, so that particular meeting would have to wait, at least until they were no longer needed alive.

 _ **Sleep.**_

Sleep was the best solution here: they would be far easier to handle when they were lost in their dreams than if they were awake and thrashing about.

Unfortunately, forcing sleep upon them would be a taxing endeavor in its current state, and was thus out of the question. It would have to do this the hard way. It would have to gaze into their minds and find the information it needed to lull them into the realm of dreams, like lulling a terrified child to sleep after a nightmare.

It hadn't done something like that in ages. The children were all grown up now: few ever truly needed any comfort, and they would often settle the issue amongst themselves in those rare instances where it was needed. It took pride in the fact that they no longer needed their father as much, but that left the rather significant issue that it had no idea what to do now that it was to do it again.

It needed them asleep, but the issue of how to do so proved quite perplexing. A human mind was much different from those of its children, and it was terribly out of practice even then. Right now, the best it could do at the moment was peer into their minds and hope that it would find something useful in their memories.

It began to focus: trying to find its way into their minds while still keeping them from wrestling free of its shadows required an intensive amount of concentration, lest it risk them plummeting to their deaths if they broke free. The master would _not_ be pleased if such were to happen.

It started with the little whelp from Atlas.

His mind was driven, almost singular in its devotion to the protection of the world of Remnant. His pride was his greatest strength, as well as his most damning weakness. It served him well at times, hindered him at others, yet it was all an act.

He hid behind it like it was a mask, hoping against hope that it hid the insecure man beneath. His thoughts betrayed him: nothing escaped its eyes.

He hoped that one day, he would be able to earn penance for all he had done in his life. He desperately wanted to believe that he had been right in doing _everything_ he could to protect the world he loved. His memories showed much, and it could almost feel pity for him, for he had done so much for what he thought was right.

Appealing to this insecurity was the best way to break him down. Validate his belief in himself, and he would let sleep return to him.

And so it did. He was sleeping within mere moments.

It moved on to the dog that thought to resist it.

Hatred permeated his mind, just like so many other Faunus its shadows had touched. Yet his was different, for he had forged that hate into purpose, and he sought to wield it as a weapon against the humans that had wronged him so.

It would appear that the cycle of revenge had begun again. Humanity had wronged him, and so he sought to wrong them in return, perpetuating a bloody cycle that had gone on for centuries between the two species. The rage in his mind lent little to the belief that he would be the one to finally break the chain once and for all.

It was a pity that he didn't recognize his own hatred for himself.

His memories spoke of tragedy, one so damning that even his own mind had closed it off to him. In absence of these memories, falsehoods were created, and each served only to fuel the hatred he had for the humans. Hate for one was merely replaced by hate for another.

What little calm dominated his mind only came about when his fellow Faunus were involved. His people were everything to him, and he sought a better future for each and every one of them. He hoped with all his heart that they would all live to see that better future come about, but he was no fool. The world of Remnant was cruel and unforgiving, and sacrifices were demanded on a daily basis.

It was here that his hatred of himself shined through, despite the barriers his mind had erected: he was more than willing to become one of those sacrifices, to become a martyr to his cause, if it would help his people. He wanted a better world for his people, but he thought that he himself didn't deserve to see it.

It could work with that.

It showed him a false vision, a world where his people had earned their salvation through sweat, blood, and tears; a world that he had fought and died for. For once, a feeling of happiness washed over him. He fell asleep, the rage that permeated his mind calming, at least for the moment.

It moved on to another pawn, a dark skinned girl with green hair and burning red eyes.

She was a starving rat once, one that had found itself in the presence of a graceful queen that offered her food for loyalty. She had accepted within a heartbeat, and she went from a hungry rat to a tool, a useful one, admittedly, but a tool nonetheless. Her loyalty bordered on obsession: the Queen was foremost in her thoughts at nearly every turn.

She had no thoughts for herself, not anymore. Even a rat was free. She used to be free like them. She had no idea what to do if she were to be like that again. Her world revolved around a single pillar, and it would collapse without that pillar. A part of her knew this and wholeheartedly wished that this wasn't the case, but it was only a small part: buried beneath a pile of "loyalty" for her Queen.

It was disgusted at this. A life like that was no life at all. It would've ended her right then and there had the master not forced it to keep her alive. She would have much to do if she wanted to avoid its fury. Perhaps it could steer her in the right direction.

It showed her a vision of a world without the Queen, a world without the pillar that had been keeping hers up ever since that fateful day. It was disappointed at what she did, or rather, what she did not do.

She didn't set herself free like it wanted her to. The Queen's grasp was too strong on her mind, and she collapsed in on herself as the vision grew harsher and harsher with every refusal to think for herself.

She fell asleep, too exhausted to continue. It sighed tiredly. It didn't want to put her out of her misery, not if there was even the slightest chance she could lift herself out of it. She was nothing more than another victim of the Queen's schemes, another crime that she would have to answer for.

It moved on to the next one, a grey-haired boy.

His mind reeked of death, much of it caused by his own hand. From the looks of it, killing was something he took a rather sick enjoyment in. Pain and suffering were his bread and butter, and he dealt each in equal measure with sadistic satisfaction before delivering the bloody climax.

He had no particular loyalty to the Queen, or anyone else except himself, for that matter. He followed the killing, and any who could promise him it in great measures. The Queen just so happened to be the latest out of many that could provide it to him. The moment she stopped, however, he would find another. And another after that. He had no intention of stopping, not until he was dead: preferably amongst a sea of bodies.

It liked him immensely.

It hadn't seen any like him in a very long time. Such individuals were always an absolute riot to watch in action. They were dangerous, to be sure, but they were never boring. Whether it fought with them or against them, such experiences were never something to forget. They were wildcards in every sense of the word, and it certainly loved a good wildcard to shake up the game every now and then.

Yet there was something behind its new favorite pawn that perplexed it greatly.

He would always give into his urges and take his sadistic enjoyment out of them, yet he never truly felt happy from the experience. Every kill needed to be followed by another, or the buzzing in his head would stop, and he would be left bored once more. Certainly, he found some degree of enjoyment in things besides killing, but he had nothing that he could be truly happy for. Killing was the closest thing he had now.

That wouldn't do at all.

It wanted him to be happy. Not for his own sake, of course, but because it would make him all the more enjoyable to watch. There was pleasure and there was true happiness: the former was in no short supply, yet the latter was lacking severely. Both were supposed to feed into each other, yet he was different. It needed to fix that.

It showed him a world without the killing he craved so much. He had gone mad within seconds when the realization hit him, and it wasn't long before he tried turning the killing on himself, just as it expected. He tried to end it, to no avail. He was stuck in a world without the pleasure he had come to rely on. He would be forced to find something else, something that would give him the true happiness it wanted for him, whether he liked it or not. Only then, could he enjoy the scent of blood flowing freely once again.

It would have to settle this later: this was taking too long. He was stuck in the vision: he wouldn't be breaking free of its shadows anytime soon. It could afford to leave him awake, for the moment.

It moved on to the next pawn. This was the one that wore a rather fashionable bowler hat for some reason.

It could feel the bitterness radiating from his mind, a result of years of disappointment and disillusionment. He had been hopeful once: his mind still had traces of a light that used to shine as bright as the sun. The world of Remnant, ever prone to crushing such idealism without mercy, had snuffed it out almost completely.

He was tired of letting the world hurt him. He had believed, once upon a time, that good would lead to more good, that doing the right thing was just what you were supposed to do. He had gained nothing but pain from the experience. He wouldn't make that mistake again. If the world was so intent on kicking him to the curb every time he offered it a hand, he wouldn't even bother with the effort.

Yet there was something about that light in him that just refused to flicker and die. It looked deeper into his memories, and it found something quite interesting.

It was the girl he had come to call his daughter.

He had tried to play the hero one last time, against his better judgement. He had found a little girl, alone and lost on the streets of Vale. He gave her a warm home and a loving family, and in return, she gave him hope: hope that maybe, just maybe, some things were right in the world of Remnant.

His life beforehand had given him nothing but betrayal and disappointment. She changed that. His trust in her hadn't been betrayed. A knife wasn't in his back this time. Instead, she became the one thing that had gone right for him.

She was everything to him. She was his light, one that had kept him safe from the bitter darkness that threatened to consume him. Just as he saved her from the streets, so too did she save him from his own darkness. He would never let that light flicker. He would give his life for her in a heartbeat if the situation called for it.

They were a family, after all. They had each other, and sometimes, that was all they needed.

It knew exactly what to do to give him rest: it knew all too well how precious a child could be to their parents.

It showed him a vision, one where both of them were free from the Queen's schemes that had drawn them into this. They could live as they once did, and it could tell that such was all he wanted. He fell asleep peacefully.

Next came the odd colored girl that made up the other part of the family.

She was different from the others: much, _much_ different.

Her mind had been shattered, completely and utterly. _Something_ had broken it and tried putting it back together, but they did a _very_ poor job of it. Whatever had done this to her, it wasn't human.

Her memories were distorted: only a scant few could be seen with any degree of clarity. The little it could see would've utterly disgusted it, had it not done much worse (to far more deserving victims, admittedly, but the point still stood). Regardless, very few people deserved to have anything like _that_ done to them, and it seriously doubted that this little girl was one of those few people.

It looked deeper, and one thing stood out as clear as day and night.

One thing had kept her going. One thing remained intact, even as the rest of her mind split in on itself. One thing had given her the strength to carry on where others would have fallen.

It was the man she had come to call her father.

He had given her everything she could have ever needed, and she was grateful for every last bit of it. She had done nothing to earn his kindness that fateful day, yet he had given it to her anyways. She would never leave him, and she hoped that the feeling was mutual.

Her life beforehand had given her nothing but pain and suffering. She didn't know how, but the feeling was there. Everyone that she had ever met had hurt her. He changed that. She was afraid of him at first, but he did nothing to her that validated those fears. Where others saw something less than human, he saw a scared little girl. He didn't hurt her like the others did. Instead, he became the one person that showed her something that had been denied to her for her entire life: love.

He was everything to her. He had given her a life that had been stolen from her. He had found her at her lowest, and he lifted her out of it. He had saved her that day, brought her back from her cruel world of pain and into his own. He was her light, one that shone through the darkness and lit a way to a world where she was not some freak of nature that could only be hated, but a girl that could be loved like any other. She would never leave that light. She would never leave him, not even if the world itself demanded that they be separated.

They were a family, after all. They had each other, and sometimes, that was all they needed.

It knew exactly how to give her rest: it knew all too well how precious a parent could be to their children.

It showed her a vision, one where both of them were free from the Queen's schemes that had drawn them into this. They could live as they once did, and it could tell that such was all she wanted. She fell asleep peacefully.

It almost felt regretful for what it did to them earlier. Almost, anyways: it too had a family that it would do anything for, after all.

Almost subconsciously, its shadows moved them closer together as they drifted into their peaceful dreams. They deserved at least that much. A part of it almost wished they could be left out of this. It couldn't stand to see such a loving family like this.

It moved on. It could deal with those thoughts later.

Finally, there was the Queen herself, as well as her protector. Even as it rested on the fine line between consciousness and unconsciousness, her mind was still scheming: still plotting the master's downfall, as ridiculous a fantasy that was. If it wasn't being directed at such a hopeless cause, it could have almost respected her determination. Perhaps the master could turn it towards more productive goals. Fall was equally defiant. Even now, it was fighting off the shadows restraining it, to no avail.

They were arrogant to think they could win. So sure were they in their victory that they thought little of what would happen with their inevitable defeat. Certainly, they commanded power that few on Remnant could match, but that would only take them so far against powers that were infinitely their greater. Arrogance was a cleverly disguised poison, and they drank it up like water, just like so many others before them.

Yet this time felt… different. It was like they well and truly had no clue of the folly of what they were doing. Everyone recognized sooner or later when they had let their pride overtake them (often just before they met their ends as a result of it), yet there was no signs of such recognition from them. It didn't take either of them for fools, so it would have thought that by now at least one of them would have seen it. It was almost as if…

… _ **?**_

...they were being played. It could see that now. How could it not have noticed this before?

A shadow had cast itself over her mind. Fall had yet to see it, and it was doubtful that it would ever would. The shadow had hidden itself well: almost completely invisible within the confines of her subconscious. Its teeth had sunken deep into her memories, twisting them towards its own ends, whatever they may be. Thankfully, it was sleeping, at least for the moment.

Why hadn't the master told it of this? Had he not noticed? No, that wasn't possible. Nothing could escape his eyes. It could deal with that issue later.

What mattered was that it needed to get home _now._ The shadow was stirring: it wouldn't be long before it was awake. There was no telling what could happen if it had free reign over her mind. Not even Fall would be immune to the effects.

It pushed onwards. Time was running out.

Home couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

AN: So, it would seem that quite a few interesting things are happening, aren't they? Let's quickly go over what they are, shall we?

Starting off with the King, it would seem that he finally decided to get some rest. Can't blame him, honestly. Too bad that he's probably in for a rude awakening once Cinder comes back.

Next with Dr. Thalon, it would seem that we've stumbled onto a rather familiar sounding name: Richard Fall. If that's not setting off any alarms, then you should really be paying more attention. Also, it would seem that Neo's up on the chopping block, primarily from her connection to this man. I'm sure you guys can figure out what happens next.

Next up, we've got Raven making her way through the Grimmlands. Personally, I think it's pretty obvious that her masters (whom it would appear that I've given quite a bit of backstory to now) are having her chase down Salem, so I'm not going to beat around the bush on that anymore and just straight up tell you guys that they're after Salem. As for how this goes down, on the other hand, well, my lips are sealed.

Finally, it looks like the Presence has become aware of the little worm in Cinder's head. Unfortunately, said worm is now waking up, and things aren't going to end up pretty if it gets a chance at her head. As for the other stuff, well, the Presence's delve into their minds served to be a proper look at each of our canon characters, as well as a chance for me to give my interpretation on a number of facets of their personalities in this story of mine. Roman and Neo in particular were the people I planned to emphasize, though everyone got quite a bit done with them by the time I finished.

Well, there's my recap of the chapter. Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you guys enjoyed it. If you are so inclined, please don't hesitate to leave a review stating what you thought or to send any questions you have my way. Thanks again, and stay safe.


	12. Chapter 12: Setting The Pieces

AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! This chapter's a bit late, and I apologize for that, but I hope that this will make up for it.

Now then, last time, quite a few major developments happened, most important of them being the worm starting to wake up in Cinder's head (oh, and before I forget, I should clarify that it's called a worm for what it does, not what it looks like. In regards to appearance, think more like a giant cephalopod, almost like Cthulhu or something like that that's buried itself into her mind, not a literal worm. That should help you guys visualize it when you get to that part in this chapter).

Other important things include one Doctor Richard Fall, whose going to be getting quite a bit of development here, as well as a certain other character connected to him. In addition, we've got Raven chasing down Salem, so there's that to watch out for too.

Well, I believe I've covered everything so far, so without further ado, I present chapter 12 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

Robert Thalon

" _Not here…Not here…Where is he!?"_

He was pacing frantically through the corridors, trying to find the King, wherever that old man had gone off to.

Normally, the doctor wasn't one to give a report in person, usually just sending it through the system for someone else to read while he got to work with other, more important things. However, something like _this_ wasn't exactly what he'd consider normal.

Dr. Fall wasn't exactly the sort of person you just pass off to the help, after all. Not after all the atrocities he committed, all the ones he could be committing _right now_ , given the fact that he clearly wasn't dead like they had previously thought.

As such, he could be forgiven for passing by the king's door several times in his hurried pace before he eventually realized his mistake and decided to take a look in the man's personal quarters.

When he came in, he most certainly wasn't expecting to actually find the man _sleeping_. It had been, what, almost a decade since he had actually seen such a thing? Pushing that thought to the side, he could see that the man was already starting to stir at the sudden intrusion into his room, getting up in the bed to get a better look.

"Robert…? What's going on? Has the Queen returned?"

"No, sir. Something much, _much_ worse."

As he said that, he handed over the report that he had written up earlier, the king already rapidly scanning over it to find what could possibly be so important as to require that he be woken up from his sleep.

"What could possibly…"

His eyes widened when they came upon the section concerning a certain ice-cream colored girl, or more specifically, a certain name connected with her. He turned back to the doctor, his face taking a grim expression.

"Tell me that this is just a sick joke."

"Wish I could, sir. Really, I do."

The King sighed.

"How is this possible, Robert? Richard Fall is supposed to be dead!"

"Clearly, he isn't, sir. This "Ascension Initiative" was started almost twenty years ago. He should've been long dead by then, if he really was dead, that is."

Both of them fell silent at the implications of what that meant.

"Twenty years? He's evaded us for over _twenty years_!?"

"As unfortunate as that sounds, sir, that is exactly what has happened. Probably more, if I were to take a guess. Honestly, I'd be almost impressed if I wasn't horrified at the prospect."

Rage was clear across the King's face.

"How did this happen!? We buried everything there was to know about him years ago! _Everything_ , Robert!"

" _Almost_ everything, sir. Cinder's still here, you know."

"That's beside the point! What matters now is that that _lunatic_ is still alive, and moreover, he's completely escaped our sights!"

"He's worked with us for some time, sir. He was a real smart guy, actually." He shrugged. "Probably knew exactly what sort of stuff we'd be looking for and hid his tracks accordingly."

The doctor smiled bitterly.

"Not bad for a disgraced protégé of mine, eh?"

The king sighed exasperatedly.

"You're not exactly helping things here, Robert..."

The doctor's smile turned almost apologetic.

"Sorry, sir. I'm just trying to process all of this in my head right now."

"I should've been more thorough in killing him…" The king muttered under his breath.

Ignoring the remark, the doctor continued on.

"So what do we do now, sir? Should I start the search or…?"

"Do it, but I highly doubt that we'll be able to find anything on him. If he's avoided us for this long, then there's no reason to believe he can't do it again."

The doctor nodded near imperceptibly as he wrote a note to himself on that.

"If nothing else, we can force him to be just a little bit more careful where he steps. That's something, at least."

The king's expression grew pensive.

"Perhaps, Robert. Perhaps…"

He looked lost in thought for a moment before the doctor spoke up.

"One other thing, sir."

The king sighed tiredly, his expression practically screaming his exhaustion.

"Yes?"

The doctor gestured to the document still in the king's hands.

"You read the report, didn't you?"

He nodded.

"I did, Robert."

"Then I assume you know what protocol dictates. You're the one that made it, after all."

"You think I don't know that?"

He sighed.

"So then…what do we do? Killing her is the obvious choice here, but…"

"…You're having second thoughts about that, aren't you, Robert?"

His head dropped low at the words.

"I've had them for quite some time, sir. Didn't think I'd ever have to deal with them, actually. Richard was just a bad memory up until now."

The king gave him a sympathetic look.

"You and me both, old friend. You and me both…"

Pushing his doubts to the side, the doctor continued on.

"Regardless of what I think, sir, it's your call."

The king was considering his answer, and he was about to open his mouth when his scroll went off in his pocket. He took it out and answered.

"What is it?"

"…"

"…What!?"

His face grew grim with every passing second as he listened to the other person on the line. He started relaying orders into the scroll not a moment after they finished speaking.

"Get her prepped immediately! I want the procedure ready to start the moment I come down there! And get the rest of the pawns to the holding rooms. They'll be dealt with later."

He tapped the screen and ended the call, letting out a heavy sigh as he put it back into his pocket and started getting out of the bed.

"Something come up, sir?"

"What _didn't_ come up, Robert? The Presence just came back with the Queen and her pawns, and the Dust-damned worm in her head is already starting to wake up!"

The doctor's expression hardened.

"That is…very bad, sir."

The King deadpanned his response, sarcasm (a very rare thing to be coming from someone like the King) practically dripping from the words.

"Indeed it is, Robert. That's why I'm heading down there right now to fix all of this before something _else_ comes up. That would be _quite_ troublesome, to say the least."

He made for the door, a hurried pace to his step. The doctor spoke up before he could leave.

"So can I assume that we'll be putting the issue of what to do with miss Neopolitan on hold, for the moment?"

The man's face grew considerate for a moment before he answered.

"No."

Surprise flashed across the doctor's face, if only for a moment.

"Then what do you have in mind, sir?"

The King handed the report in his hands back to the doctor, who accepted it hesitantly.

"I'll be leaving it to you, Robert. Whatever choice you make, I'm certain it will be the right one."

Internally, the doctor was feeling quite nervous at the prospect of filling in for the King in such a…decisive manner, especially on a matter like _this_. All that came out of his mouth, on the other hand, was a simple question.

"Are you certain of this, sir?"

The King didn't bat an eye.

"I am, Robert."

With only a hint of surprise lingering on his features, the doctor bowed his head respectfully.

"If that is what you want, then I'll be sure not to disappoint you. Good luck, sir."

The King returned the gesture, something he rarely did.

"Same to you, Robert."

With that, the King left the room, the doctor following suit not too long after. Both went in opposite directions to see to their respective tasks, not a further word being exchanged between them. There was nothing left to say, just more work to be done.

The doctor sighed internally as he continued onwards.

" _This sure is shaping up to be one of those days…"_

He smiled ever so slightly. A brief chuckle escaped his lips.

" _Oh well…"_

At least he wasn't going to be bored for a while.

After all, he had a certain father to question.

* * *

The King

He came upon a door, which opened with a metallic _hiss_ as he approached. He wasn't far from where they were keeping her, waiting for his arrival in order to start.

In hindsight, he really should've known better than to take a rest (however well-earned it may have seemed at that point) at a time like this. Admittedly, he was no stranger to being rudely awakened, especially not by Robert, but he most certainly wasn't expecting to awaken to news regarding a certain ghost from the past.

 _Those_ memories had been locked away in a very dark corner of his mind, after all.

Richard Fall was many things once: brilliant, eccentric, monstrous, yet the one word that described him best was _ambitious_. There was no such thing as impossible in that man's eyes, and he was never one to let a challenge get the best of him. Combined with his sharp mind, the man's drive gave him much promise: enough that he had managed to catch even the King's eyes.

The man was all too eager to accept when he heard the offer. Back then, those amber eyes of his had a glint behind them, one that spoke of nothing but hope and optimism. Such reflected quite well in his work: much of it had shown quite a bit of potential, and he was always working on something even better in his head.

Robert was quite proud of his understudy's achievements. All but one of them, anyways.

Just like every other challenge he faced, Richard tackled the issue of immortality with the full expectation of achieving his goals. He had taken a page out of Robert's book, actually, hoping to use Dust to free his body from the curse of mortality, just like his mentor had done ages ago.

Robert was all too happy to lend his expertise in the field, of course, even giving Richard a proper look at the Dust serum that had made it all possible. Of course, that particular formula only worked for Robert, but it didn't deter Richard in the slightest as he sought to make his own version. Such was quite the mistake on his part: he was playing with fire, and he wasn't quite careful enough to keep himself from getting burned.

A test run of the serum he had created was where it all started.

It was a failure from the start, admittedly, which should've been the first warning, in retrospect. Immortality remained well out of Richard's grasp at the time, but that didn't mean that his little experiment failed to get any results.

Quite the opposite, really.

While his body had been largely unaffected, the Dust that he had injected into himself had done much to his mind, and not all of it good. The changes were subtle, almost impossible to notice, yet great enough that the man who was once Richard Fall was no more.

Whatever the experience had done to him, he proved quite capable at hiding it, almost perfectly passing off as his normal self for the next few years. They were fools to not have noticed it at the time. That mistake would be one of many, each worse than the last.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he had continued his research, even while he kept up the front of working on other projects. They were none the wiser to his activities, none of them good.

Upon reflection, they really should have known better.

Missing crates of Dust, "lost" pieces of equipment, and even the occasional reports of unexplained kidnappings from the outlying villages that surrounded the four main kingdoms. Not one of them could be traced back to the man, of course, he had hidden his tracks well, but even they were beginning to have their suspicions: the mask that he had been wearing cracked ever so slowly over the years, providing glimpses at the monster that hid beneath.

As such, they took it upon themselves to have a more thorough look at what he had been doing away from their eyes.

The nightmares they had gained from _that_ time had yet to truly fade.

Richard had been hiding much from them: not a single bit of it good.

Live subject testing with various Dust compounds, some of which had rather…gruesome effects for their test subjects, all of whom had been taken from the various villages that dotted the landscape, the kind of people that would be missed only by a select few, none of them important enough to stir any trouble.

Some had their organs liquefied as Red Dust superheated their blood. Some found themselves injected with Ice Dust, their bodies freezing slowly and painfully as ice replaced blood. Some suffered permanent, crippling brain damage as Yellow Dust overloaded their nervous systems.

Those were the lucky ones. They had all died, eventually. Some earlier than others, but the point still stood.

Others found themselves stuck in this hell for a much longer time, kept alive by yet another recreation of the Dust serum that Robert used. Unlike the mad doctor's first attempt, this one had a measure of success: the unfortunate test subjects were kept alive past all manner of things that would have killed any normal person many times over.

Well, for a given definition of "alive", anyways.

Their bodies had malformed horrifically, practically _melting_ into shapeless blobs with each passing day. Their minds shattered entirely as they slowly became something less than human. Pain filled their every waking moment, and the mad doctor recorded every last second of it.

All for his own bid at immortality, of course.

His research, horrific as it was, had turned up results. His new Dust serum had shown promise, and he was in the process of perfecting it before they put a stop to all of the madness.

They had killed him, buried him under a pile of rubble as his laboratory collapsed around him. All of his work had gone up in flames that day, every last one of the victims he had taken finally gaining a respite from their living nightmare as death released them into the next life.

They had buried more than just that, of course. _Anything_ that was ever connected to the man was tossed to the flames, lost to the ravages of time. His records, his research, his _very existence_ , everything.

The sole exception to that had been his final legacy.

 _Cinder Fall._

She was to be his heir, of sorts. A child that would carry on his work should he ever fail in it himself. The mother was irrelevant: he had killed her not long after she birthed his child; no need for a troublesome bitch to corrupt his perfect heir, turn her away from the path she was _born_ to take.

Should he have failed in his pursuit of a way to cheat death, she would be the legacy he left behind, and she had to be _perfect._ He would accept no less.

From birth, she was nothing more than a thing to him, something that had to be made perfect in every way, both in mind and body.

Bodily, he turned his Dust experimentation on her, and her blood was tainted mere seconds after she had first entered the world, the Dust he had injected into her "correcting" all the "impurities" that he saw in it.

Mentally, he spent his efforts breaking her will, an "unfortunate inheritance" from her mother, as he had called it. Her mind was his to play with. She belonged to him in every way, and she would _obey_ , whether she liked it or not.

She was barely a year old when they put an end to him and all the horrors he created.

All of them, except her.

They refused to make a child pay for the sins of her father.

They gave her a home, one with much more care than he would ever give her. They gave her freedom from a horrific existence as her father's heir. They gave her a new life.

She was nothing more than a victim of her father's madness, and they had spent the better part of a year wiping all traces of what he had done to her from both her mind and body.

Every last trace of the dust he put into her was wiped clean. All of the mental torture she had endured at his hands was undone. Such proved a difficult task, but they refused to stop.

All traces of the man, no, the _monster_ that called himself Richard Fall were wiped clean from her memory. She would be free of him, forever. They would all be free of him.

At least, that was the plan.

He was _supposed_ to be dead, after all.

Perhaps he had found a way to cheat death like he had always wanted.

The King shuddered at the very thought of it.

If Richard Fall was still alive, then he was yet another mistake that the King would have to undo. His time would come, eventually.

Right now, however, there were other matters to attend to.

He came upon a door, locked to prevent any unnecessary intrusions. A few quick presses on the keypad later, the door opened with a metallic _hiss_.

He stepped into a room, the most prominent thing in it being the Queen, who was laying on a table placed squarely in the center, motionless.

Surrounding her were a variety of machines and monitors, all displaying various readings that fluctuated by the second: not a very good sign.

The only other person in the room was a hooded figure, completely covered in a white lab coat that went all the way to the floor, and then some. His face was covered, a single glowing yellow eye turning its gaze over to him as he approached.

The figure bowed respectfully, speaking in a dull, monotonous, and slightly metallic tone.

"About time, sir."

"What is her condition?"

A slight _click_ could be heard as the hooded figure glanced back at the monitors then back again, like he was carefully considering his next words.

"Not good. The worm in her head is devouring everything it can sink its teeth into, and her strength is fading rapidly. To make matters worse, Fall is being twisted as well, and it will surely resist any attempts we make against the worm."

He gritted his teeth: this wasn't going to be easy. He had to work fast, or else there would be no saving her.

"Alright. I'm beginning the procedure now."

He began walking to the table in the center, the hooded figure simply bowing again as he walked away.

"Good luck, sir."

Nodding, the King turned his focus on her mind, breaking past the mental barriers that both the worm and Fall had erected around her. Their defenses were stronger than he had expected, but they amounted to nothing in the end. He entered her mind, the room he was in fading away as he dug deeper.

By the time he had reached the center of her mind, there was little more than a vast, barren landscape, the remains of a dying forest withering away as the life was sucked out of them by a colossal monstrosity that had buried itself into her mind. Surrounding it was a sea of pitch black flames, ever hungry as they consumed everything in their path. In the flames, a vaguely humanoid shape could be seen, wreathed in a cloak of black flames.

Her mind had darkened, a shadow casting over it as it slowly succumbed to the corruption eating away at it. The worm had been busy in the short time it was awake, already devouring every piece of her mind it could get its teeth into.

Fall had been corrupted as well, subtle enough that it didn't even notice the harm it was doing to her. Trying to remove the worm while putting Fall to his back was nothing less than suicidal. Granted, he was immortal, so the issue of dying was moot, but he couldn't afford to waste time, lest there be nothing left of her mind to save.

He would have to cleanse her mind, piece by piece, starting with Fall. Perhaps then, they could purge the monster that had dug itself inside her together.

" _ **YOU!"**_

The flames rushed towards him, seeking to consume him whole. A wave of his hand stopped them dead in their tracks and scattered them entirely, a burning beam of light surging its way through the flames to strike at Fall, whose wreathe of flames moved to absorb the attack, their black color gaining traces of white as the light rushed into them.

These small traces were rapidly snuffed out, black returning to the cloak of flames as Fall charged forwards, a pair of swords made of pure fire in both hands, poised to strike.

" _ **DIE!"**_

It met a solid wall of light as it rushed forwards, crashing against it and smashing through with a resounding _boom_. More walls formed between the two of them, Fall charging through each of them with reckless abandon, its black cloak of flames getting whiter with every wall it broke through.

By the time it reached him, the cloak of flames had turned completely white, and with a wave of his hand, the flames engulfed Fall's body, burning it and suffocating the black flames that tried to escape. Such restricted its movements entirely, leaving it completely helpless as it tried to fight off the rebelling flames.

" _ **NO!"**_

He gripped the corrupted Fall's neck with one hand, his other one burning as bright as the sun as he ran it through its body and back out, a shining light rushing its way into the entry point.

" _Begone!"_

More light rushed into it, the blackness fading away as the light engulfed its body, culminating in a blinding pillar of white that burned all traces of the corruption within away. By the time it faded, the flames had lost their black color, returning to their normal shade of orange.

He released his grip on Fall's neck, the body collapsing in a heap as it fell to the ground, a hand around its neck as if it was gasping for air after being released from a choke hold.

It got to its feet, turning its head to face him, the flames surrounding it intensifying.

" _What is this? What are you doing here!?"_

"I am here to put an end to this."

The flames encircled him, intent on trapping him in a thick cage of fire.

" _Cinder demands your death! She will have her vengeance!"_

"No, she won't. It was never her own to begin with, after all."

He cleared the flames with a simple hand wave, restraining Fall with similar ease, an invisible force pinning it to the ground.

" _NO! I will not fail her!"_

He shook his head.

"You won't. There is a much greater threat to her than me."

He pointed to the worm in the distance.

"That _thing_ is the real danger here."

Fall was paying little attention, struggling against its bindings as the flames roared defiantly.

" _I will protect her from both of you! No harm will come to her!"_

Stubbornness, both a curse and a blessing. He knelt low, meeting the imprisoned Fall at eye level.

"I'm offering you a choice here, Fall. You can resist further and watch as I perform _your_ duty for you, or you can help me purge this monster from her mind."

Fall didn't respond.

"We're running out of time! Whatever problems you may have with me now, none of them will matter if she dies here!"

" _She will not die! I won't allow it!"_

"Then stop fighting me! That's what it wants from us!"

" _It is my duty! Her will is my command!"_

"Her will was never her own! That _thing_ is feeding you lies! This is not what she would have wanted!"

Fall's struggling weakened, slowly but surely stopping as it took in his words.

" _Is that so?"_

He nodded. Fall turned its head to look at the monster that had twisted its charge towards its own ends.

" _Then it must die. Burned to ash, with nothing left to mourn!"_

"Then we are in agreement?"

Fall nodded.

" _Release me, and it will learn the meaning of true fury!"_

Giving a satisfied nod in response, he released the bindings holding Fall in place with a wave of his hand, the flames returning to their full intensity as they both turned to face the worm, whose burning red eyes had locked onto both of them, both orbs filled with nothing but furious rage: it had likely hoped that they would've destroyed each other, or at least been distracted long enough that it could finish its task.

Now it would have to face them as a united front.

Its eyes glowed with hatred.

" _ **COME! MEET YOUR END!"**_

They both charged at it, the worm roaring angrily as they closed the distance.

They had a Queen to save, and they wouldn't fail here.

* * *

Raven Branwen

Stepping out of the black and red portal, Raven found herself at the entrance to the cave from the Ursa's memories, the portal closing behind her as she made her way in.

The cave was largely unremarkable, if rather spacious. Aside from bats, it was entirely uninhabited, and there were no particularly outstanding rock formations to speak of. Not a sound could be heard, aside from the rhythmic dripping of water from the ceiling.

In short, it seemed far too…normal. Surely, there had to be something here, or else that woman wouldn't have come here. That left the question of where it was, as well as _what_ it was.

Not wanting to fall behind, however, she continued onward, the cave getting narrower the further she went in.

As she went deeper, she could begin to feel…something in the cave, like there was something watching her. Normally, her mark allowed her masters to watch her movements, but this felt different. A cold feeling was washing over her, her body stiffening as she pressed forwards.

She could sense Grimm in the caves, as well as a great power, just as great as that of her masters. Where it was coming from, she couldn't tell; it felt like it was coming from everywhere, a dark shadow permeating the tunnels as she made her way through them.

She stepped into another large cavern, and she could see several dozen Grimm, a varied collection of Beowolves, Ursai, Boarbatusks, Deathstalkers, and King Taijitus roaming about the empty space. Each of them ignored her entirely, a strange thing, as they should have been feral without a primal nearby to bind them to its will.

They clearly weren't newborns, yet even older Grimm would have at least noticed her as she approached. Such indicated that they were being controlled, but that left the question of what was controlling them.

Just as the question entered her mind, she could see a new, unfamiliar Grimm among the others.

It looked not unlike a giant ram, covered in pitch black fur that seemed to devour every scrap of light that came in contact with it. A pair of blood red horns curved up from its head, curling backwards before ending in two dangerously sharp points that were facing forwards.

Most striking of all, however, were its eyes.

Two deep orbs that burned with a mix of hateful crimson, shimmering orange, and pitch black, a veritable firestorm of colors warring against each other in its eyes as they scanned the cave like they were looking for something.

The colors weren't the real issue, however.

What really shook her were how… _cold_ the eyes felt. They passed over her for barely a second before moving on, yet that was more than enough for a lifetime for her. In the brief time she could see them, the eyes sent a deep shiver up her spine, instilling a near terror in her, something that she hadn't felt in a very long time.

All with but a single look.

The eyes were alive and dead at the same time. They bored into her, yet right past her as well. Looking into them was akin to looking into a bottomless pit, one filled with nothing but cold hatred, dispassionate fury, and silent rage.

They didn't just instill fear. They _were_ fear.

She shuddered at the very thought of looking into them again.

She would have to make it past them, however, or else she would never find the woman she had come here for. At least the Grimm weren't paying any attention to-

 _ **I SEE YOU.**_

She froze at the words that burned their way into her mind, cruel and unforgiving as they left scars that would likely never heal in her psyche.

The eyes were looking at her again, narrowed to the point that they were nothing but slits on its stark white bone mask. She preferred it that way, honestly. Nothing was as terrifying as looking into those cold eyes in all their glory, and all their horror.

Every Grimm in the cave had turned their heads towards her, their eyes the exact same colors as the ram's.

She could barely work up the nerve to reach for her sword as dozens of the same pair of eyes bored into her, refusing to even blink and give her a respite from a living nightmare.

She tried shutting her own eyes, but they wouldn't move.

 _ **WHY HAVE YOU COME?**_

 _ **WHY.**_

 _ **WHY?**_

 _ **WHY!**_

 _ **WHY!?**_

The words washed over her, her world turning black as they grew harsher and physically painful: every syllable uttered send a white hot pain through her body.

The ram walked towards her, every step echoing through the cave as hoof met rock. She couldn't even run away, the pain far too much to resist.

The eyes were even more terrifying up close, and she was unable to look away from them, compelled to stare into the abyss as it stared back at her.

 _ **Why?**_

The words were not nearly as harsh as they were before. They sounded…normal, almost. Its eyes were no longer a raging storm of warring colors, but a solid shade of deep red. They were still rather unnerving to look at, but not nearly as much as before.

She could feel the invisible force that had been paralyzing her lifting as her body started to listen to her again.

The ram had yet to take its eyes off her, its face looking almost quizzical as it waited for an answer to its question.

 _ **Are you with her?**_

It likely meant the woman she was pursuing. She shook her head.

"No."

 _ **Then why do you come here?**_

"I must bring her with me."

 _ **For what purpose?**_

What did her masters want the woman for? She hadn't been willing to ask such a question back then; they were merciful enough to give her a second chance at that time, and she wasn't going to push her luck any further.

"That, I do not know. My masters have asked for her, and I am simply bringing her to them."

 _ **A servant, then. Who are these masters you speak of?**_

How would she answer _that_ question? Her masters were many things to many people: myths, monsters, legends, and everything in between. What would they be to the ram in front of her?

She heard a bellowing laugh as she contemplated her answer.

 _ **Apologies…I already know what your answer is, but your thoughts are so amusing.**_

"What?"

 _ **I know they sent you. Tell me, how are my brothers and sister? Doing well, I hope? They never seem to call….**_

She wasn't even sure how to respond to that. Clearly, there was much more to the ram in front of her than meets the eye.

 _ **Well, no matter. I believe a different question is in order; why are YOU here?**_

She could tell what it meant, but she didn't know how she would answer. Or rather, if she _could_ answer.

 _ **If you're still concerned about them eavesdropping on our little…ah….exchange, then you have nothing to fear; they can't see you down here. In fact, they won't see you anywhere, not while I'm suppressing their vision so we can have a little privacy. So, with that in mind, I ask you again; why are you here?**_

Why _was_ she here? Why was she serving the creatures that she had trained all her life to fight? To what end did this all serve? She knew the answers quite well.

"I seek power, power that can remake the world."

 _ **Oh? And how, pray tell, will your world be like?**_

Her world would be something the world of Remnant was not and would never be: safe. Not for just her, her family, and anyone that else she held dear, but for everyone.

No more councils to send "heroes" to their deaths in the wilds.

No more kingdoms to wage their petty wars with each other.

No more Grimm to haunt humanity every day and night.

No more pain and suffering for anyone.

It would all be gone. She would see to that, one way or another. Nothing was going to stop her.

"It will be better than anything you could ever dream of."

The red eyes lit up brightly as the ram shook its head with laughter.

 _ **Such resolve…a pity that you direct it towards the impossible.**_

She would not be deterred by its words. She would _make_ the impossible possible. There was no other choice. She had promised Summer that before she died.

 _ **It would seem that no cost is too great for you…ah…I don't believe I ever caught your name?**_

No cost indeed. Every sacrifice made today would pave the way for a better tomorrow.

 _'Even…Summer…'_

She turned away from that thought immediately; no need for regrets now, not anymore. She had given up her chance for that a long time ago.

She had gone too far along the path to turn back now. Summer would've wanted it like this. Surely she would've done the same, had their roles been reversed, right?

"Raven. Raven Branwen."

 _ **Quite the name, isn't it? Such a beautiful name…I would give you mine, but I seem to have misplaced it in my old age. A pity, that is. Oh well…**_

What a strange thing to say. With but a few words, the ram had gone from a terrifying abomination to an almost jovial old man. The sheer dissonance was jarring, yet unnerving at the same time.

 _ **Oh, don't worry. I can be so many me's, I have a hard time remembering all of them. I'm quite the actor, am I not?**_

 _Blast_. She forgot that it could read her thoughts.

 _ **Anyways…I believe we were talking about something else…what was it again? Oh yes…now I remember.**_

 _ **Do you truly think you can see your world come to fruition, Raven? That you will be able to see the path you walk through to the very end?**_

She would have to. Summer deserved at least that much. They all did. In truth, they deserved better, but she couldn't provide it to them.

"Yes, I do."

The words came out as a whisper, a weak reassurance, almost. It was directed more at herself than anything else.

The ram didn't appear satisfied with her answer.

 _ **Lying doesn't suit you, Raven. I don't even need to see your thoughts to hear the doubt in your voice.**_

"I will remake this world with my own hands. Nothing will stop me."

The words had more force behind them, yet they felt hollow in her throat as she gave them voice.

The ram could only shake its head disapprovingly.

 _ **Doubt has no place on the path you walk. It will cloud your vision, your judgement, your future, everything. Every step will become harder than the last, to be sure, but you must be able to take every one of them with absolute certainty, or your efforts will amount to nothing.**_

 _ **All you've lost will be for nothing if you can't reach the end. And I am certain that such is not what she would have wanted for you.**_

Summer always did put her team before herself. Raven both loved and hated her for that. Selfless to a fault, even when death came for her.

No. She couldn't think about that. It would only serve to cast more doubt on her mind.

 _ **Always keep moving forward, Raven…always keep moving forward. I heard that one from an old friend of mine once. I don't recall what happened to him, but I'm certain that he's still following his own advice, wherever he is, and you should too.**_

She wasn't going to let herself stop now. Not when she had already come this far. Such would be a disservice to everyone, not least of all herself.

"I will."

The ram nodded approvingly.

 _ **Good. Now then, I believe you have places to be. By all means, don't let this old man hold you up any further.**_

It pointed its head in the direction of one of the tunnels, one that led deeper into the cave.

 _ **She went that way. For what purpose, I won't tell you, but I will say that it would be in your best interest to hurry.**_

She began to walk away before she turned her head back to face the ram, who was watching her with its solid red eyes.

"Thank you."

It nodded, and she could have sworn that she saw its mouth curling up into a smile before it slowly faded away into the darkness.

 _ **You're quite welcome, Raven.**_

Its body was disappearing rapidly now, and she just noticed that all the other Grimm had also disappeared. The ram's eyes were the last thing to fade away, and they never took their gaze off of her as they did so.

 _ **I'll see you soon. Maybe after you've made your new world a reality. Good luck, Raven.**_

With that, the cave was empty again, any and all traces of the giant ram that had once been there gone completely.

She returned her attention to the tunnel it had pointed her towards.

She would have to hurry, there was no telling when that woman would finish whatever she came here to do.

She carried on, a new resolve behind every step.

* * *

Salem

Salem could sense that the worm that she had implanted was under attack. It would hold firm, for the moment, but she already knew that it was fighting a losing battle. Its death was a question of when, not if.

It was a pity that she would lose one of her children, as well as the rather valuable pawn that came with it, but such was the way of things. No proper game of chess ever went without losses on both sides.

Of course, pawns were replaceable, and she had no further use for Cinder Fall, at least not anymore.

She had come here to this cave for Cinder's replacement, after all.

The ram that had barred her way had certainly been an unexpected interruption, but nothing terribly disruptive. Its eyes were quite an unnerving sight, though, to say nothing of how much it knew about her plans.

She could sense a great power behind it, just as great as that of the primals, if not more so. She had been careless; a power like that should _not_ have escaped her notice, let alone been allowed to run free for years, all while completely evading her watchful eyes.

She would have to deal with this matter, eventually. Whatever that thing was, it represented a clear and present threat to everything she had accomplished, and she couldn't leave a risk like that unchecked.

It was always a matter of risk control, in truth. Removing threats, minimizing them, even allying with them; everything came down to putting any potential issues in their place before they could unravel the web she had carefully spun for over a century.

Perhaps that was why she sought to bring the primals into her plans. They were powerful, just as much as she was, in fact, and when monsters like them were involved, it was always better to just point them in the right direction and get out of the way than let them run rampant.

They would serve quite well, assuming she could properly convince them of the need for a…mutually beneficial partnership between them. They were no fools, of course, and she was certain that they'd be quite the challenge to persuade.

Still, she had quite a bit of leverage against them, not least of all being the recent death of An'Trok, The Great Carrion. She was more than certain that his…unexpected passing had given them much to think about, their own prospects of survival first and foremost among them.

Granted, they were far more ancient than he was and thus far more dangerous, but the point still stood. Humanity had grown strong in the millennia they had slept away, and even their great powers had limits. They needed someone who was more…in touch with recent times, more familiar with humanity's greatest strengths and weaknesses, and she would emphasize that need when she met with them.

She'd have to wait for their servant to arrive, of course, but she was certain that one Raven Branwen wasn't far behind her trail by now. One of the best huntresses that Beacon has ever produced, she was quite the shining example for humanity's future defenders, idealistic fools they were.

Only a select few knew the truth about her, of course; it wouldn't do for the world of Remnant to know how one of Beacon's finest had cast all that aside one day, throwing her lot in with the monster's she swore to fight against to her dying breath. No amount of white washed propaganda would soothe the uproar from that, after all, and no one wanted a lure for the Grimm like that.

At least Ozpin managed to do one thing right.

He was quite good with lies, after all. Truth was a plaything for him, something to be molded and shaped as he saw fit. Raven just happened to be one of his more…unique creations, but she was not his first, and certainly not his greatest.

How many lies had he created to hide all the horrors that the world of Remnant hid in the dark places? To protect the blissful ignorance of the world at large while he sent his pawns to die the same, pitiful deaths against powers that were infinitely their greater? Against her?

Maybe that's why she hated him so much. Such arrogance was nothing less than infuriating for her, and she would stop at nothing to see him burned to ash for his hubris. Humanity would burn along with him, of course.

The voice demanded it, after all, and she could not help but obey as they whispered to her in her dreams.

Humanity was a cancer, of sorts; claiming dominion over a world that was never theirs to begin with.

The world of Remnant belonged to no one, really. It had a will of its own, and there was not a single being alive that could force such a great power to heel.

She was blind to that truth once, but the voice opened her eyes.

Everything had become so clear then.

Even the primals were victims of their hubris, and they paid dearly for it when they were forced into their slumber. They were waking up now, of course, but that only meant that they too would burn along with humanity when her plans came to fruition.

None were safe from the wrath of Remnant, after all.

That would come in the future, however. Right now, she had something else to attend to.

Before her was a large, ornate mausoleum, one that had been buried deep inside this cave and rigged with numerous traps to ward off would-be tomb raiders (assuming they made it past the Grimm infested caves, as well). She had no intention of plunder, of course, such a petty goal was beneath her.

No, she had a much more valuable goal in mind as she made her way through the various traps with casual ease. She was no ordinary grave robber, after all, and her target was much more than just looted valuables from the deceased.

She came upon an ornate coffin, one lined with engravings that read of a more modern tongue, a sign that the deceased was a much more recent one than the others, who had likely been dead for centuries, if the engravings in a long forgotten tongue were any indication.

This was the one she was looking for.

Her newest pawn was locked inside, dead for nearly thirty years. He would be returned to this life from the next one as a servant to her will.

The rebirth process she had learned was a rather tricky thing to accomplish, however, and it wasn't the preparation that would be the difficult part (though that would also be a long a tedious affair, no doubt).

The real challenge would be convincing him that he needed to return to the world of the living.

The next life promised many things, after all, not least of them being a second chance, and it was a rather difficult issue to convince anyone to give that up in order to return to their old life.

Rebirth was a matter of choice, and there was no imposing upon those that had already lost everything. Whatever choice he made, she would have to abide by it, for better or for worse.

She opened the coffin and found a rather well preserved corpse inside; it appeared that the long process of decay had yet to set in, even after thirty years, likely a symptom of his iron will. A good sign, in truth; that meant he wasn't yet ready to let death take him. He still had much left to do in his first life before he could pass on to the next one.

Producing from her robes a vial of Grimm blood, taken from a rather…unique primal she had aligned herself with, she poured the thick, tar-like fluid over the body, which immediately began to crackle as the blood burned its way through skin and bone, melting it entirely.

By the time the blood did its work, the body was nothing more than a puddle of black tar, the material from which a new body would be formed, one for her newest pawn to inhabit, should he choose to do so.

Next came the matter of returning his spirit to the realm of the living.

She produced another vial from her robes, one filled with Black Dust, and poured it out into the puddle, the dark powder dissolving almost instantly as it made contact.

In mere moments, the liquid began to bubble, a solid patch of it starting to harden into what was effectively a deformed head.

A pair of glowing eyes opened over its face, darting around frantically as it tried to take in its surroundings. A mouth formed as well, opening and closing like it was trying to form words, though no sound escaped its lips, a result of trying to talk before the rest of the organs that could give it voice were formed.

She smiled darkly as the eyes fell on her.

"Welcome back."

By now, the head had a neck attached to it, enough of its body formed that it could respond. It sounded rather…displeased, to say the least.

" _ **Where am I? Why have I returned?"**_

She chuckled lightly. A good enough start, she supposed. Not everyone took to returning from death all that well.

"Where, you ask? Do you not remember what happened to you?"

" _ **I…I was killed in battle, was I not? Why am I here? Have I not earned my peace?"**_

He most likely had, she thought, but that mattered little to her. She would need to convince him that he wasn't done yet, or else he would have no need to return.

"Clearly, you haven't, or else you wouldn't be here."

" _ **What can I do, then? If I am dead, then the land of the living has no place for me."**_

She smiled; this was going better than she could have hoped for.

"Allow me to help with that, then. I can give you another chance, if you are willing to take it. All I need is your approval, and I can begin."

The eyes looked pensive, like they were considering her offer carefully.

" _ **What do you get out of this, exactly? Nothing is free here on Remnant, and this is certainly no different."**_

How perceptive. She expected no less, of course, but that might complicate matters if she was careless with her next few words. She spoke in a measured tone, any hints of deception in it carefully hidden away.

"I require your help, and I am more than willing to offer my own in return for yours."

A lie, of course; he would be a rather valuable addition to her plans if he accepted, but he was by no means irreplaceable. Still, she preferred that he not force her into considering alternatives; she had already put so much effort into bringing him back, after all.

" _ **An exchange, then. Well, if you are so intent on gaining my help that you would defile the sanctity of death itself, then I am certain that it was for good reason."**_

She nodded. He was playing right into her hands, so far. At this rate, it would be child's play to manipulate him for her own plans.

"I can assure you that our…partnership will be of great benefit to both of us."

Well, she was certainly getting more out of it than he ever would, but she was confident that she could convince him that he was getting something out of their deal as well.

" _ **Hm…you strike an enticing bargain, yet I know nothing about you. Tell me, who are you and what do you need me for?"**_

She laughed darkly; he was as good as hers now. She played it off as simple amusement, however, so as not to alert him of her…less than beneficial ideas for their arrangement.

"I? You need only know me as Salem. Like I said earlier, I need your help for my plans. Beyond that, you are free to do as you wish."

As close to free as a pawn could get, anyways. She wasn't going to let a potential threat like him run around without any oversight. Such went against everything she had ever done.

" _ **Salem, then. Very well. If you intend to return me to the world of the living, then by all means: do it. I still have much I plan to accomplish once I come back, and I look forward to a long and healthy partnership between the two of us."**_

She bowed respectfully, hiding the dark smile growing on her face as she did so.

"As you wish. It shall be done."

With that, the upper half of his body that had formed out of the puddle melted back into it, ready to be shaped into a new form worthy of being inhabited by her latest pawn. It oozed out of the coffin and onto the ground beneath, waiting for her to shape it.

A few simple motions with her hands were all she needed to form the basic shape of a humanoid body. A few more, and she worked in the more minute details, mostly around the face. Before long, the body was practically human in appearance.

The body itself was well-developed, standing nearly at a full seven feet along with muscles toned from years of intensive conditioning (in his previous life, of course: she could do as she wished with this new body). The face was sharp and angular, narrowed towards the chin, which was covered in a light stubble of facial hair. Short, black hair was slicked backwards towards the head, ever so slight spikes periodically sticking upwards and towards the back.

Not a single feature looked out of place: her work had been very thorough.

She had memorized as much as she could of the original body before she poured the blood over it; it was best to get the new body as close as possible to the original, after all. Less trouble getting used to it, and all that.

That meant that she needed to add quite a few things that a normal human would never have. He was a Faunus in his lifetime, after all, and a very unique one at that.

Another wave of her hand caused a sharp, pointed tail to protrude from his rear, large and flexible enough that it could conceivably be used as a second weapon if the situation ever called for it, certainly helped by the rather sharp, near blade-like tip that it ended in.

Another caused a pair of dark horns to protrude from his head, curving upwards and towards the back of the head, ending with two sharp points.

Another caused a pair of leathery, black wings to sprout from his upper back, growing in size as she continued moving her hands. In seconds, they had grown large enough to cover his body if they were folded over, easily strong enough to take him into the skies, should he ever need to.

A few more waves to apply any finishing touches (as well as the attire he had been buried with, for modesty's sake), and she was done. His new body was practically a perfect copy of the original, virtually no differences between the two of them: she had been very careful in that regard.

Trust was a valuable thing, after all, and she would need to gain his if she wanted to exploit it.

Giving him such an enticing gift at the start of their partnership would be a perfect way to start gaining it.

Her work on his body done, she began to implant his mind into it, pouring out another vial of Black Dust into its empty head.

A few moments passed as he transferred himself into his new body, his eyes shooting open once he was done.

He took a few moments to test his new limbs, playing with his fingers, stretching his new wings, and various other motions as he adjusted to the unfamiliar form.

Satisfied that he could get used to this with time, he turned his attention to her, walking over with a relative grace, compared to how others usually carried themselves after the rebirth process, anyways.

He outstretched a hand, which she took in a firm handshake.

"It would seem that we have ourselves an agreement, Salem. What would you have me do?"

She gestured to the cave entrance behind her. He looked over her, his nose flaring as he took in a new, unfamiliar scent.

"It would appear that you've been followed."

She nodded; Raven had certainly made good time, just as she expected.

"Indeed I have. Would you be willing to take care of that?"

He bowed respectfully; a good sign that she was already making headway with him.

"Of course. This will be a perfect opportunity to give this new body a more…ah…proper test."

Such was exactly what she wanted, and Raven was certainly going to be a good match for him.

He began to step towards the entrance to meet the intruder, flames dancing across his fingertips as he walked away. He was clearly looking forward to what was to come.

She was as well; she was in for quite a show.

She smiled darkly.

 _All according to plan._

* * *

AN: Looks like things are heating up, aren't they? Seems like I've just introduced quite a few new characters, not least of all being the ram and Salem's newest acquisition. Not to mention Richard, either. Seems like our cast of characters is only getting bigger, right? Don't worry, they've all got a part to play in the overall story, and I've got pretty much all of them planned out already.

Now then, a quick recap.

Dr. Thalon's heading off to see if he's going to keep Neo alive or not, and he's going to be questioning Roman about that. Keep your fingers crossed for that.

The King and Fall are about to fight off the worm and remove it from Cinder entirely. That'll be fun.

Finally, Raven and Salem's newly resurrected pawn are going to have a go at each other. Sparks will fly, to say the least.

Well, there's my recap of everything. Thank you very much for reading, hopefully you guys enjoyed it. If you are so inclined, please don't hesitate to leave a review stating what you thought or to send any questions you have my way. Thanks again, and stay safe.


	13. Chapter 13: King Takes Queen

AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! This chapter's a fairly lengthy one, so heads up.

Now then, last time, I just set us up on quite a few major events. First was the King and Fall fighting the worm in Cinder's head. Next was Dr. Thalon going to meet up with Roman regarding Neo. Lastly, we have Raven about to fight Salem's newly resurrected pawn. All of that will be continued here in this chapter.

Oh, and just for a heads up, *BZZZZT* is making an appearance again. I know I said earlier that he wouldn't be doing that, but plans like mine tend to be pretty flexible, and I realized that I had a rather interesting idea that I could do with him in this chapter. He won't be doing anything as horrific as he did in Chapter 7, but I just wanted to be completely clear that he's here to stay.

Now that that's out of the way, without further ado, I present chapter 13 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

The King

" _ **DIE!"**_

A wave of tendrils erupted from the ground, Fall sending a wave of flames to meet them in return.

The pitch-black appendages were ignited in an instant, though that did little more than force them to flail around for a bit in an effort to shake off the flames.

That was all the opening the King needed to send a solid beam of light at each of the writhing tendrils, impaling all of them with pinpoint accuracy. Not a moment after, the light impaling them intensified, burning them to ash as the worm roared in pain. It fired beams of pulsing red energy from its eyes in response to this, forcing them to evade and pushing them back.

Such exchanges had gone on for some time now, neither side gaining any significant advantage over the other.

As it entered the battle, the worm grew massive, stark white armored plates all across its body, covering virtually all previously exposed areas, save for its back, with a thick mass of bone. Such a transformation had turned their battle into a pitched stalemate.

Most of the attacks the worm had sent towards them had been repelled or evaded rather easily, though any chance at a counterattack would be quickly shut down when it simply pressed on with its assault, doing everything it could to deprive them of a chance to catch their breath.

Conversely, any attacks they sent towards it were merely shrugged off as they collided against its thickly armored hide. Any of their stronger attacks, ones that had a chance of piercing their way through, required them to be closer, and such was made an issue by the constant waves of tendrils and eye beams that the worm repeatedly sent their way.

There was also the issue of avoiding too much collateral damage; the human mind was a fragile thing, and such damage to it would be very difficult to fix once this was all over. Such meant that neither of them could go full out with their attacks, not without harming Cinder in the process, and that was most certainly not what they wanted to do.

Of course, the worm had no such reservations, and it spent just as much effort directing its assaults at her mind as it did towards the two of them.

If they didn't end this soon, there would be nothing left of her to save, no matter which side won in the end.

Both of them had absolutely _no_ intention of letting that happen, and Fall in particular was decidedly frustrated with the stalemate that they found themselves in.

" _Nothing is working! We need to get closer!"_

"I know that! We need an opening!"

Such was easier said than done. The King grimaced as the worm sent another wave of black tendrils at them, forcing them on the defensive as its eyes glowed a bright red, readying for its next attack.

"Hold it off! I'll deal with this."

Fire met the erupting appendages, holding them down long enough for a solid wall of light to crash down upon them and grind them to dust. The wall didn't disappear, however, holding firm as the worm fired its eye beams at it, the light intensifying as the attack connected. A solid beam of light came from the other side, meeting the red beams head on as the wall collapsed.

Red and white clashed in a brilliant flash of color, neither one giving any ground as the King and the worm put everything they had into overtaking each other.

The worm was distracted now. Out of the corner of his eye, the King could see Fall advancing, taking advantage of the opening he had provided and closing in on the worm as it focused its attention on him.

He put everything he had into this, the brilliant stream of light surging from his hands growing brighter with every second. The worm responded in kind, all of its strength placed into empowering its own beam, burning a hateful red as it grew in intensity. Neither of them took their eyes off each other, determined black eyes meeting angry red ones.

Fall was just a short distance away now, and with the worm virtually oblivious to the attack coming from behind, it readied a devastating flurry of fire, wind, ice, and lighting, launching the wave of elemental fury directly at the worm's exposed back, a pained scream coming from it not a moment later.

Their assault wasn't over, however; after Fall's attack connected with it, the worm's eye beams stopped firing entirely, allowing the King's beam of light to surge forward, colliding against its thick hide with unrelenting force. An even more enraged scream of pain escaped the worm's maw as the light and raging elements tore it apart from both sides.

Neither Fall nor the King gave it any quarter, relentlessly pressing their advantage and bombarding the worm with a withering barrage of flame and light. Its armored hide folded under the merciless assault, overwhelmed by the sheer force being directed at it.

A massive black tendril, one that had been embedding it into her mind, burst from the ground, flailing wildly as it tried to strike at either of them. Forced to evade lest they be crushed, they relented with their assault, putting some distance between them and the worm as it flailed wildly in a blind rage.

Their attack had left its mark: entire pieces were missing from its body as the last vestiges of light and fire ate away at what they could.

Its face in particular had been horrifically disfigured, one eye hanging precariously from its socket by a few strands of decaying meat, the burning glow disappearing from it as the last strands gave away, sending it crashing to the ground.

Entire parts of its brain were visible past the maimed flesh covering them, an angry red glow pulsing in and out the exposed organ as it throbbed in its head.

The rest of its body was in much the same condition, black blood oozing out in great streams from the numerous wounds that marred its flesh. A handful of the tendrils that had been embedded into the ground had been severed from the main body, already decaying rapidly into dust.

By all rights, it should have been dead by now, but it refused to simply lay down and die.

Instead, it roared in defiance, its remaining red eye burning with pure hatred as hundreds of black tendrils burst out of its body (some coming out of the gushing wounds and covered in black blood), digging their way into the ground as they continued to grow.

" _ **THIS ENDS HERE!"**_

The worm was blasting countless red beams from its last eye in all directions and thrashing its tendrils about wildly in a blind rampage. Nothing they sent at it even fazed it, all sense of self-preservation lost now that its mind was lost to its fury.

If it was to die here, then it would drag every last one of them down with it.

" _ **DIE SCREAMING!"**_

The mental battleground was set alight, Fall's flames and the King's light engaged in a brutal battle for dominance against the worm's raging tendrils and blazing eye beams.

Cinder's mind was faltering under the stress: they needed to end this _now_.

They needed an opening if they wanted to get a chance at that.

"Keep it busy!"

Fall nodded, a sea of raging flames forming and crashing against the worm's tendrils, causing it to scream in a violent rage. Nothing but pure fury escaped its maw.

" _ **YOU WILL ALL DIE!"**_

Its rage was twisting her mind, crushing it under the sheer force of its hatred. The skies had turned blood red in color. The ground trembled with every word, massive cracks forming and tearing it asunder. The only remaining things that stood defiant against the darkness that blanketed the area were Fall's flames and the King's light; all else had been snuffed out entirely.

Two lights, brilliant white and shimmering orange, amidst a sea of pitch black and blood red. Neither faltered, burning brightly as they danced their way across the darkness, evading and attacking in equal amounts.

Time was running out; Cinder wouldn't last much longer.

The worm was on its last legs now. Just one final push, and they could bring it down for good.

He would deliver that final blow. He just needed to get in close so he could finish this, once and for all.

Fall was giving him all the opportunity he needed.

Flames blazed a clear path through the darkness, directly towards the worm's exposed body, which had been rapidly decaying from the sheer damage it had already taken.

The worm's attention was directed everywhere and nowhere now: its mind had been lost to primal rage as it let loose its fury upon anything and everything it could see. At the center of its rampage was Fall, its cloak of flames burning brilliantly as it dodged everything being sent at it, returning every attack with an equally deadly one of its own.

The way was clear now, and the worm had no idea what was coming: Fall was seeing to that quite well.

He had the perfect opening.

It took all but a second for him to close the distance, the worm's massive form a towering, rotting mass of writhing flesh and bone, driven by nothing but rage and hatred by this point. It was falling apart at the seams: massive holes had been burned clean through its armor, entire chunks of its flesh had been severed off, and what little remained of it was practically withering and dying right in front of him.

The body wasn't his target however: he was aiming for something that was far more exposed, something that would be the final nail in this monster's rapidly shutting coffin.

Its brain.

The maimed flesh and bone that covered its nerve center had rotted away by now, nothing but nothing protecting the sensitive organ underneath. A red glow was emanating from the exposed organ, pulsing angrily with every shout of fury that the worm let loose.

He had a clear shot, and all he had to do was take it.

Pouring all his focus into this final attack, he formed a solid spear of burning light, the weapon expanding in his hands to the point that it was easily several times his size. The massive spear of light shined with a white glow, and he let it fly, aimed directly towards the worm's exposed brain.

The glow emanating from the worm's nerve center had turned even angrier, a clear sign that it had noticed the attack from its blind spot. A roaring shout burst from its maw, the very ground trembling beneath the sheer force.

Noticing the attack and stopping it were two very different things, however.

All it had left was its stubborn defiance as the spear struck true, a blinding white glow flashing not a moment after it hit. The light tore away at the exposed organ, ripping it apart in a flash of wrathful white.

Not long after, brilliant beams of white light escaped from the holes in the worm's head, the light tearing it apart from the inside shining ever brighter as the King poured everything he could into his attack. Nothing but a scream of raw hatred and agony was coming from the worm now; it was utterly helpless before the King's fury.

Continuing to grow in intensity for a few more seconds, the light then began to fade, the blinding white glow disappearing just as the worm's agonized howls ceased. Its body slumped backwards, uprooted from the ground as the last vestiges of life left it. The body crashed to the ground in such a way that the worm's remaining eye was directly in front of him.

Miraculously, it was still open, staring directly at him with nothing but raw, primal hatred. He could hear it speaking to him, if only in a pained whisper.

" _ **This…isn't…over…"**_

A ragged cough interrupted its words; a sign that death was coming fast.

" _ **Mother will find you…and she will end you…"**_

A harsh laugh escaped its devastated throat, continuing on for a moment until it was struck by another set of hacking coughs.

" _ **This world…will burn….before her fury…"**_

With one titanic burst of effort, it lifted itself off the ground ever so slightly, its eye glowing brighter than before. The next words came out with more force, like it had gained a second wind through nothing but sheer willpower.

" _ **REJOICE! REJOICE IN THE COMING OF THE END!"**_

Just as quickly as it appeared, however, the worm's sudden surge in strength gave away, the body crumpling to the ground again. The words were growing fainter with every syllable.

" _ **My death…is only the beginning…"**_

The eye began to lose its light, the red glow fading as the eye slowly slid shut.

Anger flashed within him.

He would _not_ let it have the last word. Not after all it had done.

"Before you die, monster, I have one final thing to say to you."

The eye stopped closing, freezing in its place as it made its response.

" _ **Oh…?"**_

"You are wrong. This world _will_ live on. There is not a thing in all of existence that will change that."

He growled hatefully, his expression contorting in rage.

"Not you. Not your mother. Not _anything._ "

He raised a hand, the worm looking up to follow the gesture.

The eye widened at what it saw.

Hundreds of spears of light had formed above it, each just as big as the fatal one that had pierced its brain. All were pointed directly at it.

"Not while I still draw breath."

He spat one final word out with pure venom in his voice.

"Begone."

He brought his hand down in a quick sweeping motion, each of the spears coming down upon the broken body in an instant, mercilessly tearing their way through rotting flesh and bone.

The eye drifted, the eyelid sliding over it as the glow faded to nothing.

The eye was shut entirely by the time all the spears were done impaling it.

It was dead.

The body was more akin to a pincushion now, riddled with bright white spears as it slowly evaporated into nothing.

He sighed tiredly.

It was over.

She was safe, for now, anyways.

He would have to keep an eye out for this "mother" that the worm had mentioned. He was certain that whoever she was, he would have to deal with her in the near future.

That would come later, of course. He could prepare for it at another time.

Right now, he had other things to settle.

Fall had watched their verbal battle from afar, including the King's rather…pointed closing. It almost looked like it was in awe at the sight.

He walked over to where Fall was, each step tired, but firm.

"Now then, on to the two of us...do you still plan to fight me?"

Fall took a moment to consider its answer. It shook its head.

" _No. Not anymore."_

There was no fear in the voice, unwavering in its firm tone as it continued.

" _Cinder is what matters now. She will be the one to decide this. Until then…"_

It offered him a hand.

"… _I have no quarrel with you."_

He took the hand, relief visible in his features; a battle between them would only serve to put more stress on Cinder's weakening mind, and he didn't want that, not after everything she had already been through.

"Good."

Now there was the matter of undoing everything the worm had done to her.

Her memories had been corrupted in ever so subtle degrees, marginal enough that they would be near impossible to notice, yet great enough that what had once been truth had been twisted into utter lies.

Richard Fall had returned to her memories, implanted directly into her head by the worm. The memories had been distorted, a monster becoming a much more fatherly figure, a completely sickening lie that utterly disgusted him as he wiped it clean from her head.

She thought that he had taken her father from her, that he had taken her from a warm, loving home into one filled with nothing but pain and suffering. She hated him for that, and she defied him at every turn she could. She would take back everything he stole from her, take her vengeance against him for robbing her of her life.

Her determination in pursuit of such a monumental task was practically limitless: the iron will that she had inherited from her mother had been put to good use. A pity that it was being manipulated by nothing but a few well-placed lies.

He would have to fix that, just like he did all those years ago.

Restoring her mind would be a difficult task this time, however, and a very gradual one, at that. The worm's corruption had sunken deep into her psyche, and removing it all at once was entirely out of the question.

Whatever her father had done to her back then paled in comparison to this.

Her mind would heal in time, no doubt, but the scars would likely never fade, not even long after she had recovered from the experience.

All he could do now was start the process: the rest would be up to her to fix. His light repaired what little it could, but her recovery would be a long and difficult affair, one that he could only hope she was strong enough to endure.

 _No_. He knew she was strong enough. He raised her better than that.

At least he knew that she wasn't going to be alone in the matter, either. He would make sure of that.

He turned to Fall.

"Whatever she thinks of me once she wakes up, I have one request of you."

It looked pensive for a moment before responding.

" _And what would that be?"_

His expression hardened.

"Keep her safe."

Fall nodded resolutely.

" _I will. Always."_

He smiled warmly.

"Thank you."

With that, he left her mind; he had done all he could for her, at least for now.

He was back in the same room now, Cinder still laid out on the table, unconscious and entirely oblivious to the great battle that had gone on in her head.

He eyed her steadily breathing form with a solemn gaze.

This was his fault, after all. He should have noticed that something was wrong with her earlier. Maybe then, all of this could have been avoided. Instead, his mistake had festered, grown into something far worse than he thought possible. At least he was able to correct it before it grew out of control.

She may have been justified in hating him for what he had done, regardless of the worm's manipulations. If he hadn't failed her, then she wouldn't be stuck in a long recovery as her mind healed itself. If he hadn't failed all those years ago, she might not have even been born into the world of Remnant with a complete monster for a father. Her very existence was a result of the mistakes he made with Richard.

That didn't make her a mistake, however.

She was the legacy Richard had left behind, whether she knew it or not, and if any traces of the good man that was once Richard Fall still remained after all these years, he would likely have been proud to call Cinder his daughter.

She was not a failure. She belonged as much as anyone else.

The only who had failed here was the King.

Another mistake among countless others. Few of them cut as deep as this one, however.

He spoke with a quiet whisper, the words directed to no one in particular.

"I'm sorry."

The words just came out, really. He didn't need her forgiveness. It wasn't like he deserved it anyways.

When he looked at her again, he could've sworn he saw her lips curling ever so slightly upwards.

Somehow, even after all of this, he could've sworn that she was smiling at him.

He could have been seeing things, but he didn't care.

He smiled despite himself, an invisible weight lifting off his shoulders.

Maybe he had done something right after all.

It felt good to think like that. He wished he could do that more often.

A long life like his had a tendency to dull one's happiness, after all.

He sighed; no need for any of that here.

Taking his leave from the room, he found the same hooded figure, the man's face still masked behind that same glowing orange eye. A scroll tablet was in his hands, various pieces of information displayed across the screen. Taking notice of the King as he approached, the figure gave an acknowledging nod.

"I presume that you were successful, sir?"

"Yes, but I'll need you to keep watch over her until she wakes up. Once that happens, she is free to do as she pleases."

The glowing eye blinked before responding.

"And if she tries to resist?"

"I doubt that she will, but if she does, you know what to do."

The figure nodded.

"Of course, sir."

"Good. That is all, for now."

The hooded figure bowed his head respectfully, making his way into the room behind him afterwards.

With that matter settled, the King made his way through the corridors, not particularly concerned with where he was going.

There was more work to be done, of that he was certain.

He had to organize the reconstruction of Vale. He had to find the "mother" the worm had mentioned. He had so many other tasks that demanded his attention.

He didn't really care at this point.

Right now, he just wanted to rest.

He came upon the door to his personal quarters.

Sleep had never felt so good.

* * *

Robert Thalon

The doctor was making his way through the base's corridors, heading towards the holding cells where the Presence had taken everyone but Cinder to.

He needed to find one Roman Torchwick before making any decisions regarding his adoptive daughter, after all.

He stepped into the security room overseeing the holding cells, two others present in the room as he walked in.

The first was the Presence, its distinctive pitch black silhouette quite visible against the room's rather dull metallic grey walls. Why it was still here and not back at its home was a mystery, though he could address that issue later.

The other was sitting in the chair in front of the monitors, all of which showed the feeds from the various cameras dotted throughout the cell block. The figure's attention was not focused on the monitors, however, instead focused on reading the rather bulky looking book in his hands.

Taking notice of the doctor's approach, the figure looked up from his reading, shutting the book not long after. A slight smirk grew on his face.

"Hello there, Robert. What are you doing here?"

"Important business, James. You don't look all that busy yourself, either."

He shrugged.

"Just got back, actually. Saw the Presence as I was walking around and figured I'd tag along."

"Speaking of which," Robert turned his attention to the black figure, whose red eyes had been focused intently on a particular set of monitors, "what are you still doing here?"

The Presence replied simply.

" _I am waiting for the master to give me leave so I can go home."_

Of course it was waiting for him. It rarely did anything without getting the King's approval, after all. On the other hand, that meant that the Presence wouldn't be going anywhere for quite some time; Dust knew how long it would take before he was finished with Cinder.

"Is that so? Well, then you should probably know that he's…indisposed right now. I don't believe he'll be done anytime soon."

It shook its head, almost looking annoyed, if the way its eyes twitched ever so slightly was any indication.

" _Then it appears that I will be here for a while yet. A pity, really. I promised them I'd be home right around now…"_

It was probably referring to its children, those… _energetic_ (yes, that was the word he was looking for) bundles of formless shadows. Always so excitable, especially when they were allowed to fight. It was a real shame that they had to be cooped up at home away from their father while he worked.

It was all for safety reasons, of course, as they had a tendency to get a little _too_ excited whenever their father took them into a fight, and keeping more than a few of them around at any given time was a rather dangerous situation to ask for. How the Presence kept a family like that in line was beyond him.

Regardless, given the circumstances, he figured that an exception could be made here.

"Just go home already. And say hi to the kids for me, would you?"

He gave a slight smirk as the black figure took its eyes off the monitors it had been watching, looking at him warily.

" _Are you certain of this, Dr. Thalon?"_

"Sure am. Go on, I'll cover for you if the boss asks anything. Don't worry about it one bit."

It nodded its head slowly, and he could have sworn he saw relief flash across its features (what little of them there may have been, anyways) for a split second.

" _Thank you, doctor."_

With that, its body started to evaporate, going away entirely within seconds. It probably got home in the same amount of time, Dust knew how fast it could go places if it was in a hurry, especially when the children were involved.

James had returned to reading his book, though he was still paying a degree of attention to what was going on in the room around him.

"Makes you wonder, doesn't it, Robert?"

"About what, James?"

"How something like _that_ is a better family man than either of us."

The man meant no insult by that, of course.

It was all in good fun, in truth; they had worked together long enough for the occasional bout of banter here and there.

At least, that's how Robert interpreted his words, giving a small chuckle in response.

"Once I figure out the answer, you'll be the first one to know, I promise."

Taking a moment to look at the monitors that the Presence had been carefully observing before it left, he found that it had been watching both parts of the Torchwick family, both of whom were still sound asleep. If he didn't know any better, then he would have figured that it saw a little bit of itself in the adoptive father, both of them loving parents to their children.

Regardless of that, he still needed to have a…discussion with Roman before he could make his decision, and the lighthearted atmosphere that had permeated the room had all but disappeared as James picked up on Robert's nervous tension.

"I know that look. You're thinking real hard on something, aren't you, Robert?"

The doctor sighed.

"Nothing much, I just need to have a little talk with Mr. Torchwick on a rather…important matter concerning his daughter."

James' expression hardened, his face taking a grim expression as he almost subconsciously figured out the hidden meaning behind Robert's words. He shut his book tightly and turned his gaze to the doctor, who was still overlooking the monitors with great interest.

"Sounds real serious, honestly. You need anything from me?"

Considering the offer, he recalled that the Torchwicks weren't the only ones that he needed to evaluate for possible recruitment. Adam, Mercury, and Emerald all needed it as well, and if his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, he could've sworn that he saw one General Ironwood locked away in a holding cell too.

All of that would have to be sorted out by _someone_ , and that _someone_ just so happened to be him right now.

With all his attention currently focused on determining whether or not one Ms. Neopolitan would live, however, he seriously doubted that he'd have the time to deal with the rest of them.

"Actually, I do need a bit of help with something."

"Oh? What is it?"

He pulled out the files that he had compiled for everyone else, handing them over to James.

"These ones need evaluating, and I'll be a bit busy with the others for a while."

The man nodded, an understanding look on his face.

"So you're just dumping your work on me because you can't do it yourself."

The smirk on the his face only made the doctor want to punch it right off of him, but he restrained himself before he did anything that both of them would regret (or alternatively, laugh off entirely just a few minutes later; that was a much more likely outcome).

"Pretty much. Have fun."

James made a show of taking an exasperated sigh.

"Oh, joy."

The doctor only laughed in response, waving back at him as he made his way into the cell block, looking for the place where Roman was being held.

He found the cell with relatively little difficulty, and as he stood just in front of the door, he looked over the notes he had written down on his papers, most of which showed the written down parts of his own internal doubts regarding the whole situation.

His disgraced understudy was a rather sore point for him, after all, and he had been very thorough in systematically annihilating just about everything that had ever been connected to him.

Of course, there were a handful of exceptions to that, the most notable of them being one Cinder Fall. Now, he would see if he was going to be adding one Ms. Neopolitan to the list of those exceptions.

As he reached for the door handle, his hand shook ever so slightly.

He really wanted to add her to the list.

No parent should be forced to bury their child, after all.

* * *

Roman Torchwick

When Roman came to, he found himself in a largely non-descript holding cell, dull gray walls that were remarkably well maintained (practically spotless in comparison to the dirty hovel that Vale liked to call a jail cell, a place that he was no stranger to) and a fairly large door being the only real things of note about the room. Aside from the chair that he had been tied up in and the relatively normal looking table in front of him, anyways.

He was tied quite firmly to the sturdy metal chair that had been bolted to the ground. Whoever had done this sure knew their way around a knot, far better than those hapless twits that the Vale Police Department hired, anyways.

He liked to think that no prison could hold him, but he was certainly having that claim tested right now, given the difficulty he was having in just freeing his hands.

He struggled fruitlessly against the bindings on his wrists; no way he was getting out of this one, at least not on his own.

 _Neo._

He had been rather preoccupied in taking in his unfamiliar surroundings that he had forgotten all about her.

 _Where is she?_

The last time he could remember seeing her, he was in some sort of dream, one where Cinder was nothing more than a bad memory. Everything had gone back to normal, back to the way it should have been.

No more convoluted schemes.

No more shadowy conspiracies.

No more risking his neck for a cause that he couldn't care less about.

It was just him and Neo, living out the quiet life that he always dreamed about.

They were together, and that was all he wanted.

He didn't have any illusions about that actually happening, of course. A dream was a dream, and he learned a very long time ago that dreams were only meant to be broken.

Regardless of what their future held for them, it wouldn't matter all that much if he couldn't find her.

He didn't doubt that, wherever she was, she knew how to take care of herself. He had raised her for only three years of her life, admittedly, but he was certain that he'd taught her enough in that time. She had come so far from when he first found her, going from a scared little girl to a strong young woman. He told her that he couldn't be any prouder of how she turned out, and he meant it.

She would be fine; he had made sure of that. Right now, he needed to worry about himself.

Clearly, he wasn't being locked up in a cell like this just for the thrill of it. That left the question of what his captors might have wanted out of him.

Money, information, favors, and all sorts of other things came to mind almost instantly. He was no stranger to having demands made of him from all sorts of thugs and lowlifes. Vale's criminal underworld was a cutthroat business, after all, and he was quick to learn the ins and outs of surviving in it when he first started out.

Whatever it was that they wanted, he wasn't going to give it to them. Rule number one in the world of thieves and murderers was to never look weak in front of your enemies, after all, and he was never one to break that particular rule.

Just as he finished that thought, he heard the door to the cell opening with a slightly audible _creak_ , and in walked a veritable giant of a man, easily bigger than even that huge White Fang lieutenant with the chainsaw whose name was escaping him right now.

His eyes were a dark shade of red, not unlike Emerald's, and he wore a rather simple white coat over his relatively mundane dress shirt and slacks. In his hands was a scroll tablet, along with a file containing a handful of papers in it.

He had absolutely no idea who this was, and that was _not_ a very good sign.

"Roman Torchwick. Wanted for over a hundred accounts of theft, even more cases of property damage, over a dozen instances of murder..."

As the unfamiliar man rattled off the various crimes he had committed, Roman took the time to study what he could from the man's movements.

His steps were firm, yet carefully taken. His body language spoke of confidence, and given the man's truly ridiculous size, there was probably a good reason for that.

He'd have to tread carefully if he wanted to walk out of here with his head still attached; giants like him were often just as strong as their size suggested.

 _Diplomatic approach, then._

"In my defense, the murders were done entirely out of self-defense."

He wasn't exactly lying, per se. Vale's criminal underworld was a dangerous place, and while he kept his hands relatively clean, there were still those occasional times where his hand had been forced. Like that one time where some two bit thugs thought that they could take Neo from him and get away with it. He was fairly certain that the police had yet to find the bodies. Ashes were a very hard thing to track down.

The man looked almost amused by Roman's response.

"Whatever you say, Torchwick. That's not why I'm here, anyways."

"Really now? So then what _are_ you here for?"

Roman kept his voice steady, tone betraying nothing but confidence; no need to look weak and give him any opportunities to exploit.

"I have questions, and you have answers."

He was looking for information, then. Not exactly an uncommon thing, in Roman's experience, though he always preferred a simple ransom to that. No need to fabricate lies on the spot, after all.

"And why would I want to give them to you?"

A slight smile played across the doctor's lips.

"Perhaps you aren't familiar with the project that made your daughter what she is."

He froze entirely at the mention of Neo. The man continued on, not taking notice (or possibly not caring).

"This file," he patted the largely nondescript manila folder in his hands, "contains just about everything you'd need to know about her. What do you say we make a trade, yes?"

Roman wasn't quite sure how he would play this out now. Granted, the man could have been lying to him, though his body language showed none of the usual signs of deception. He hated people that were like that; they were always so hard to read.

He tested the waters, so to speak, with a simple question.

"What exactly do you need out of me?"

"Like I said, just a few answers. I'll even sweeten the deal by giving you some answers of my own up front."

The man reached into the folder and pulled a few papers out, laying them out in front of him.

"What do you say?"

Roman nodded, silently accepting the proposition.

"Good. Here, then."

He slid the papers over to Roman, turning them over so he could read them. He also released the restraints holding Roman's arms to the chair, though the dark look in his red eyes already told him that he shouldn't try anything.

Instead, he used his newly freed hands to take a better look at the papers that had been given to him.

Much of what was on the first paper was technical jargon that he didn't understand. The only particularly noticeable thing that he could somewhat recognize was the heading at the top of the paper reading _The Ascension Initiative._ Presumably, that was the name of the project that made Neo into what she was.

The rest of the papers were similarly riddled with quite a few words he couldn't understand, and he could only glean a very small amount of information from them regarding Neo.

The handful of readable parts on the papers all made mention of Dust augmentation, not exactly an uncommon thing, given that this was Atlas, though he certainly took issue with the fact that it was being done to his daughter. From what little she told him back when they were on Blue Two, it was fairly obvious that they hadn't exactly been gentle with her.

The man was eying him carefully, writing down something on his scroll tablet as Roman put the papers down, finished with his reading. He spoke with a measured tone.

"Alright, now that that's out of the way, what do you want…sorry, I don't believe I ever caught your name?"

The man responded simply.

"Doctor Robert Thalon."

"Well, then, Dr. Thalon, I believe you have some questions for me to answer?"

The doctor nodded, a question coming not long after.

"How exactly did you meet her?"

An interesting question; not exactly one he was used to, either.

"Found her on the streets in Vale. Took her in about three years ago."

"Hm. Then I suppose that makes you her father, in a fashion?"

Why was he asking these questions, again? He had never had anyone try to pry into his relationship with his adoptive daughter, and he didn't like it.

"Sorry, but exactly what are you getting at here?"

The doctor gave a slight chuckle in response.

"Ah…straight to the point, I see. No more holding it off, I guess…"

He reached for another paper in the folder, a single sheet that had Neo's picture attached in the upper left corner.

Several paragraphs worth of words were on the paper, written in black ink and with rather neat handwriting, but there was only one particular section that he was paying any attention to at that point.

It made his blood run cold.

 _ **Neopolitan- Recommend Immediate Termination**_

 _ **Signed,**_

 _ **Dr. Robert Thalon**_

What exactly was it that he was feeling right now?

Anger? Worry? Hatred? Fear?

A bit of everything?

He didn't care. That was his _daughter_ right there, and _no one_ was going to take her from him. Not if he had anything to say about it. He turned to the doctor that had signed the report, speaking in a dangerously low tone.

"I swear, if you put a _single_ finger on her, you are going to regret it for the rest of your life."

The man's expression was unreadable as he responded.

"I'm sure you will, Torchwick. That's why I'm here to see if I need to go through with it."

"Why are you doing this? What has she done to deserve any of this!?"

The doctor's eyes drifted away for a second, like he was carefully considering his next words.

"I'm not exactly at liberty to tell you everything, but I will say that it has to do with the name that is circled right there on the paper."

Turning to where the doctor had indicated, Roman saw that there was indeed a name being circled, one that had another name written right next to it in dark black ink.

"Onyx Blackwell?"

An odd name, but definitely nothing that he would've recognized. He moved on to the second one.

"Richard…" His eyes widened. "…Fall!?"

The former he didn't recognize in the slightest, but the latter set off several alarms in his head.

Dr. Thalon nodded slowly, a grave expression across his face.

"Doctor Richard Fall, a very, _very_ hated name, to say the least. Not that anyone would know of it, anyways." The doctor chuckled. "We were very thorough when we destroyed everything ever connected to him. Well, _almost_ everything."

Roman was already connecting the dots in his head.

"You're talking about Cinder, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. To make a long story short, she was just about the only thing left in this world that has any connection to one Dr. Fall. _Was_ being the key word here." His expression hardened. "That brings us to the matter of-"

Roman already knew where he was getting at.

"Neo."

The doctor sighed tiredly.

"Very good, Torchwick. Your daughter is yet another thing that carries on Dr. Fall's legacy, and I am certain that you can figure out what that means, given what we have done to everything else that had such a distinction."

He did, and he didn't like what it meant.

"I don't give a damn about whatever her connection to this Dr. Fall is! You already kept Cinder alive, why not Neo!?"

The doctor held up his hands in a placating gesture.

"Now, now. I didn't say that we were going through with it, and to be perfectly frank here, this isn't exactly something I enjoy doing, either."

Roman sighed dejectedly.

"So what's going to happen now?"

"Right now? Right now, I'm trying to determine if we really need to go through with this, and to be honest, I'm just about sitting on the fence on the issue."

If there was chance that he could keep Neo safe, then he'd take it, no matter what.

"Look, I don't even care what you do to me anymore, but leave her out of this!"

The doctor replied, his voice sounding rather tired and his eyes closed like he was going over old memories in his head.

"Sorry to tell you this, Torchwick, but that's not how things work. If you had any idea of the things Richard has done, then you might think twice about letting his memory live on, too."

"If it's really that bad, then why'd you keep Cinder alive?"

The doctor replied in a harsh tone.

"You don't even _want_ to know what he did to her." His eyes looked even more tired than before. "Why did we keep her, you ask? It's because we took her out of that and gave her a better life than he would have ever given her, right at the same time we put him down for good."

Roman could've sworn that the man muttered something under his breath after he said that. Regardless, he wasn't particularly satisfied with that justification.

"And what makes Neo any different!? Do you have any idea how she was when I first found her!?"

He would never forget the way her eyes widened in fear when he first approached her, how she would flinch every time he reached for her. It took the better part of a month for her to feel anywhere near comfortable around him, and he was most definitely not blind to the nightmares that had given her many sleepless nights back then.

Dr. Thalon was taken aback for a split second before the surprise disappeared from his face. Roman didn't particularly care, continuing onwards with his enraged outburst, each word laced with cold fury.

"I raised her for almost three years. In that time, she's become my daughter in almost every way except blood. If you think that I'm going to just sit around while you threaten her, then you're sadly mistaken."

He didn't have Melodic Cudgel in hand right now, but if he did, then the doctor would most likely be looking at a hole in his head right now. The man's eyes were unfazed, regarding him with unnatural calm as he wrote something into his scroll tablet.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind when I make my decision, Torchwick."

With that, he got up from his seat and made his way for the door. Just before he left, the man turned his head back to face him.

"Just between the two of us, I don't really want to be doing this either. Oh, and you're free to go now."

Just as he said that, he felt the restraints on his legs coming off, getting up from the chair not a moment after.

Just before he could try to make a break for it, the doctor stopped him.

"I wouldn't try anything like that if I were you."

"Oh, really? What's stopping me?"

The doctor merely raised a hand back over his shoulder, like he was telling him something he didn't know.

"Well, one, we also happen to have Ms. Neo locked away in one of these cells, and you attempting to escape now would certainly not influence my decision in the way you want."

Of course they had her. Fate just wasn't being kind today.

"Then that just means I'll have to get her out of here, too."

"I do like your spunk, Torchwick, really, I do, but that's entirely out of the question here. You wouldn't even make it out of here alive if we wanted it that way."

Was that a threat? It sounded rather sincere, like he was trying to dissuade him from a stupid course of action. Then again, Roman had already done plenty of stupid things before, and doing it again really didn't seem all that bad anymore. Especially not when Neo was involved.

"Try me."

The doctor sighed.

"How about this? Follow me, and I'll lead you right to where we're keeping her. Take as much time as you need, you may or may not be getting any more of it soon."

Was he joking? That was a downright _stupid_ thing to offer in his eyes.

"And what's to stop me from taking you down when you're not looking and getting out of here?"

The doctor laughed heartily.

"Good luck with that, Torchwick. You'll find that I'm just full of surprises."

There was a very slight edge of threat behind those words; the man wasn't playing around in the slightest.

Roman didn't like his odds in this situation. Even if he managed to get past the giant of a man that called himself Dr. Thalon, which seemed very unlikely since he didn't have a weapon on hand, he was still in a very unfamiliar place, one that he didn't know in and out like the various prisons in Vale. Trying to get out of here was a very risky gamble, and there were some bets that you just don't take.

Still, this would probably be his best shot at finding Neo, and right now, she was the only thing that mattered to him. He'd play along, but just for her sake.

"Fine. I'll tag along, for now. No promises, though."

The man only smiled in response.

"Sure thing. Come on, then."

He motioned for Roman to follow, walking out of the cell and into the connecting cell block.

Only one thing was going through his mind right now.

' _I'm coming, Neo. Just you wait…'_

* * *

Robert Thalon

Somehow, he had convinced Roman to follow him, if only so he could see his daughter.

That was good enough for him; every parent had a right to see their child, as far as he was concerned.

He was fairly certain that the criminal would try something soon, especially once they got closer to their destination.

They had stopped by the security room for a very brief moment so he could take his cane and bowler hat. The latter wasn't exactly a cause for concern, though the former was most certainly a risk that he'd have to keep an eye out for.

Well, if he was concerned about Roman actually having a chance at breaking out, anyways.

How long had it been since he had been forced to perform a more…physical task? He couldn't even remember, and that was worrying him. He'd have to go out Grimm hunting at this rate; no need to let himself get out of practice.

Pushing that issue to the side, his thoughts returned to the matter at hand.

He had a choice to make, and he was having a very hard time choosing.

On one hand, Richard Fall was a very special kind of evil, and evil like _that_ needed to buried and forgotten.

On the other hand, Roman had made it very clear to him that she was easily the thing he held dearest above all others, and that he was absolutely _not_ going to let them take her from him.

He would hate to break up such a loving father and daughter. Truly, he would.

He was getting a very strange feeling of déjà vu here, and he knew exactly why that was happening.

They had already done this before with Cinder.

The King and Robert had both agreed that she deserved a chance at life back then, and neither of them ever regretted making that decision.

So why was he doubting what they were doing now? Hadn't they already settled the issue back then?

Roman had brought up a very good point earlier, and the question that came from it plagued his thoughts the entire way through.

 _If they had allowed Cinder to live, then why not Neo?_

He couldn't even come up with an answer to that, not even when they arrived at the door leading to her cell.

* * *

Neopolitan

Neo woke up from her sleep in a completely empty room, nothing but nothing being her companion as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting.

The walls were a dull gray, completely solid without any windows for her to climb out of. The only other thing in the room was a door, one that had been shut tight, no doubt.

She was trapped, at least for the moment.

Prison wasn't exactly the kind of place that could keep her for long, after all. She would just have to watch and wait for an opportunity to present itself.

Then she could break out and find Roman, wherever he was. He probably needed her help like he always did.

She smiled, not that anyone was seeing it. Roman had always been a loving father to her, and she loved him right back, but he always found himself in need of her help. How he was able to consistently both annoy and amuse her like that was a mystery, but she enjoyed it anyways.

Regardless, she could figure out how to help her idiot (she meant that in the nicest manner possible) of a father out of whatever trouble he had gotten himself into later. Right now, she needed to wait for her chance to escape.

And so she sat down, leaning back against the wall as she slowly let sleep return to her.

Just before her eyes shut completely, she heard a buzzing in her ears.

If she didn't hear that accursed sound ever again, it would be too soon.

There was no mistaking that voice.

" _ **Hiya, Neo! I was looking all over for you! You sure get around, don't you?"**_

She opened her eyes, and she could see that the same white suited man had appeared out of nowhere in front of her. His crooked smile was just as unnerving as she remembered.

" _ **You have no idea how hard it was to get in here! Tearing tiny holes in the walls for me to slip in through takes a lot of work, you know?"**_

She stood up, an angry scowl forming over her face. The white man appeared hurt by the expression, though she was fairly certain he was faking it.

" _ **Aw…what? Was it something I did?"**_

She didn't have her parasol right now, but that didn't mean she was harmless. No, it only meant that she had one less thing to clean once she was done.

" _ **Are we seriously at that stage right now? You don't even want to talk for just a little bit, Neo?"**_

She only shook her head as her eyes turned pink and brown, ready for a fight.

" _ **If that's how you want to play it, then…"**_

He snapped his fingers, and his entire body simply vanished, replaced by a rather hungry looking Beowolf.

It snarled angrily at her, its red eyes focused squarely on her as it made to lunge, only to be stopped by some invisible force mid-lunge.

" _ **Oh, right. I need to make it fair or else it's no fun. Thanks for the advice, daddy!"**_

Just as the words finished, she heard a slight _thud_ on the floor next to her. Sparing a short glance in the general direction she heard it coming from, she saw that her parasol (though it was pitch black in color) had appeared out of nowhere right next to her feet.

" _ **Hurry up, Neo! My little friend here is just dying to have some fun with you!"**_

The Beowolf was rapidly regaining control over its body, its eyes glowing red with rage.

Not wasting a moment, she took the parasol, finding that it felt practically identical to her own, and pulled out the blade in the handle just as the Beowolf lunged again.

Gracefully evading the attack, she stabbed the blade clean into its head as it crashed into the wall behind her, its body evaporating not a moment later.

" _ **Not bad. Here! Let's mix things up a little!"**_

A dark black puddle formed on the ground in front of her, four Beowolves emerging from it mere seconds after it appeared.

" _ **Have fun, boys!"**_

Each of the Beowolves roared angrily, two of them swinging their claws at her while the other two stepped back to give them room.

She avoided each swing with a practiced ease, both their attacks hitting nothing but air as she slashed at them with her sword, taking advantage of any openings she found in their assault. Both fell over in moments, evaporating entirely.

The remaining two had joined the fray, neither of them concerned with how she wasn't moving at all. Just as one of them tried to sink its teeth into her, the illusion she created shattered into glass, both of them yelping in surprise just before she slammed one into the wall and stabbed the other through the head.

Pulling her sword out, she quickly put an end to the other one, both of the bodies evaporating in the span of a few seconds.

" _ **That's a nice trick, Neo! Let me show you one of mine!"**_

The puddles had formed again, though this time, no Grimm had come out of them.

At least, she didn't think that those shapeless blobs of thick black tar were Grimm.

All told, there were three of them in total, each with a single red eye, the rest of their bodies a writhing mass of black.

One of them surged forwards with surprising speed, parts of its body extended out into thick black spikes aimed directly at her. She cut the extended pieces off of the main body with relative ease, the severed parts rapidly dissolving into more of that black tar.

The thing didn't seem fazed in the slightest, merely repeating its attack again, which she ended in the same fashion as before.

With a shout of rage, the thing tried a different tactic, charging forwards with its entire body.

She found herself hard pressed to evade the black mass, relentless in its assault, and she certainly had no intention of letting it get anywhere on her body. The matter was further complicated by her slashes seemingly doing nothing to stop it.

Taking advantage of a split second opening, she ran her sword into its eye, eliciting a roar of pain as it backed off, its eye blinking rapidly to heal the damage she had done.

She pressed her attack, now aiming for the eye. A few more well placed stabs, and it was dead, the red eye shattering and sending the rest of the body crashing to the ground, fading away to nothing not long after.

The remaining two had watched the fight intently, joining in right after she killed it. They were more cautious in their approach, clearly having learned from the mistakes of their recently deceased friend. Their attacks covered each other, keeping her on the defensive as they pushed her back.

Such a situation really emphasized her glaring lack of ranged attacks, something Roman had been very insistent that she work on before it came back to haunt her. She wished she had listened to him back then, as she was quickly running out of ideas while they backed her into a corner.

The best she could do was throw her sword, and that was most definitely out of the question, as she'd be left without a weapon if she missed.

An idea flashed in her head, and not a moment too soon. Just as the two black masses engulfed her, all they heard was the telltale sound of shattering glass.

She appeared behind them, their backs (and their eyes) exposed as they focused on untangling themselves from each other, too busy to notice her jamming her sword into one of the eyes, which shattered after she pulled the blade out.

The other eye managed to evade her strikes, scrambling away as the other body faded to nothing.

She made use of this opportunity to put some distance between them. She doubted that it would fall for the same trick with her semblance, so that wasn't an option.

It looked positively _livid_ , the eye glowing an angry red and its body trembling with rage.

It surged forwards, all sense of self-preservation entirely lost to it as it relentlessly pursued her, forcing her to retreat lest it devour her whole.

She was backed up against the wall now. It had left a part of itself behind in case she tried to use her semblance to get behind it. The eye was glaring at her, shifting left and right, probably assuming that she was using her semblance and that the one in front of it was another illusion.

Perhaps she could make use of that mistaken assumption.

It lunged at her, its eye directed elsewhere, trying to find the "real" her. By the time it realized its mistake, it was already too late.

Her sword went directly into its eye, a series of cracks spider webbing their way across as she heard a howling roar of pain. With one final burst of effort, she pushed the blade in deeper, the cracks growing larger and the roars more agonized as the eye shattered completely.

Unlike with the others, however, the body didn't simply collapse to the ground. Instead, it puffed up like a balloon, bursting directly in front of her, the thick black tar splashing all over her.

" _ **Aw…I think they were really starting to like you, Neo. Oh well. I hope you liked their parting gift."**_

She could feel her aura burning, strained to its absolute limits as it held the corrosive fluid at bay. It was all she could do to keep from screaming in pain as she collapsed to the ground, too exhausted to keep standing.

The white man loomed over her, his twisted smile wide across his face.

" _ **Does that mean you like it? I think that means you liked it."**_

She looked up at him, mustering what little strength she could and giving him the most hateful look she had ever given anyone in her life.

" _ **Why the long face? Aren't you having fun, Neo?"**_

He put a hand on her shoulder, the touch sending a white hot spike of pain coursing through her. At this point, she couldn't hold it in, an agonized scream escaping her lips as he let go.

" _ **That's what I like to hear…Keep it up, if you would be so kind."**_

He moved to put a hand on her again, but just before he could reach her, she could vaguely hear a door opening. Not a moment after, she heard a sharp _bang_ followed by the familiar whistle of a shot sailing through the air.

An explosion went off behind the white man, his body sent flying by the force of the blast and disappearing once he was slammed into the wall. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Roman, smoke still billowing out of Melodic Cudgel's barrel. Next to him was another man, one wearing a white coat.

" _ **Aw…You guys are no fun."**_

He reappeared in front of her, entirely unscathed by the shot that Roman had fired into him a few seconds ago.

" _ **Looks like I need to get going…See you later, Neo."**_

He started to melt, his body fading away into the ground, but before he could disappear entirely, he was grabbed bodily by the other man in the white coat and slammed directly into the wall. He didn't disappear this time.

"I don't know what you are, but you are _not_ leaving this place alive."

" _ **Ah…not bad. I think I actually felt that one."**_

He melted into a puddle, slipping out of the man's hands and reforming a short distance away.

" _ **See you around, boys."**_

He snapped his fingers, his body vanishing entirely.

Roman and the unfamiliar man looked over where he had been for a few seconds before turning their attention to her.

Roman was over her in an instant, nothing but pure concern in his voice.

"Neo! You alright?"

The black tar that had splashed over her disappeared when the white man did, but the damage it had done was still there.

Her aura had been completely drained, though it had done its job in keeping her from getting any significant burns across her body. For the most part, she was unharmed, save for some minor cuts and bruises here and there, along with the occasional burn.

Still, she was completely exhausted, and she felt an overwhelming need to close her eyes right now.

She kept them open long enough to assure Roman that she was fine.

"I'll be fine, Roman. I just need…a little rest…"

Her words trailed off as she let unconsciousness take her.

* * *

Robert Thalon

' _What the hell was that?'_

He had never seen anything like that _thing_ before, and that was saying something.

Stark white in just about every way imaginable, right down to the clothes, the eyes, the hair, everything.

A horrific maw of teeth twisted into a complete mockery of a smile.

Complete sadism combined with childlike glee.

He'd have to write all this down so he didn't forget to look into it later. He'd probably need to get the King involved, too, if he was going to make any headway.

That would come later, though. Right now, there was the matter of cleaning up the mess it left behind.

She was unconscious, probably a result of aura exhaustion. That black tar had eaten right through her aura, and if it hadn't disappeared when it did, it probably would have eaten through much more than just that. Thankfully, it hadn't come to that, and she would need just a bit of rest so her aura could regenerate. After that, she would be as good as new.

Roman had yet to take her out of his arms, holding her close to him as she breathed softly, her chest rising ever so slightly with each breath.

"She just needs her rest, Torchwick."

The man looked back at him, his eyes wary.

"I know that, Dr. Thalon. Right now, the thing I'm keeping her safe from is _you_."

The doctor was taken aback, as much as he didn't want to admit it.

Even now, he was still protecting her. Just like any good father should.

Granted, if the doctor really wanted her dead right now, then absolutely nothing he did would be able to stop that.

Of course, that wasn't the case, as he had already made his decision the moment he saw the two of them together again.

"Don't worry. She'll live."

As Roman took in what those words meant, relief visibly crossed his features. He returned his attention to the daughter in his arms, a warm smile on his face.

The doctor watched the two of them closely, taking in everything he was seeing.

One part in him wanted nothing more than to end her right now, put her out of her misery and all that.

He would have to get that part of him fixed, as the other part utterly refused to separate such a loving family.

Whatever hell Richard (and, from the looks of it, that _thing_ from earlier) had put her through, she wasn't alone in working her way through it, moving past it, even.

She had a loving father, after all, and he flat out _refused_ to leave her alone in this world.

Even in unconsciousness, she nestled into his arms, a pleasant smile growing across her face.

She wasn't going to leave him alone, either.

They had each other, and that was all they needed.

There was no way he was going to be the one to end something as beautiful as that.

She would live, protocol and all that be damned.

He smiled despite himself.

He was more than certain that he was making the right choice here.

He took out the old report that he had written earlier, crossing out a certain section of it that was no longer relevant and writing something else in its place.

 _ **Neopolitan- Termination Cancelled**_

 _ **Signed,**_

 _ **Dr. Robert Thalon**_

* * *

Raven Branwen

She came upon the entrance to a large mausoleum, one that had no doubt been buried for centuries, based off of the sheer age the rock it had been carved out of showed.

Just as she was about to make her way in, she could feel _something_ approaching, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword on pure instinct.

In front of the entrance was a rather large, winged man. A Faunus, most likely, though she had rarely seen any with animal traits like his.

The horns were the easiest part to take in; curved upwards and towards the back of his head. Nothing too out of the ordinary, really.

A bit more difficult to take in was his tail, which ended with a very dangerous looking bladed tip. Admittedly, tails weren't an uncommon feature among Faunus by any means, though she had rarely seen any that were as potentially useful as a weapon as his.

The wings, however, were a first for her. Certainly, she knew of a handful of Avian Faunus that had wings capable of flight, but she most definitely had not heard of a Faunus with wings like his. Pitch black with deep red membranes, the appendages looked more than strong enough to take him into the air. They weren't covered in feathers, either, instead being leathery like those of a bat.

What sort of Faunus he was escaped her, though she had no doubt that he was going to bar her way.

She approached him carefully, a hand readied to draw her blade if the situation called for it.

Stealth would be out of the question; his perfect night vision would completely nullify the low-light advantage the cave provided. Instead, she opted to simply walk directly towards him, and he took notice of her almost immediately, probably having already sniffed her out long before he saw her.

Flames danced across his fingertips as he addressed her.

"Hold it right there. I don't know who you are or why you're here, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

She didn't respond, merely continuing forwards.

"I'll give you one final warning; turn around and don't come back. Otherwise, things will get rather…messy down here."

She wasn't deterred in the slightest, continuing forwards like she didn't have a care in the world.

The man grinned darkly in response.

"I was hoping it would end like this. Let's have some fun, shall we?"

A gout of flame escaped his mouth right after he said that, aimed directly at her. She evaded the attack with ease, though she certainly hadn't expected something like that.

Not easing up on his assault, he charged forwards at her, both hands flaming as he had them poised to strike.

She responded by drawing her sword just as he reached her, the blade leaving the sheathe in the blink of an eye.

Her eyes widened behind her mask when he caught the blade mid-swing with his hands. They lit up brightly with fire not a moment afterwards, snapping her blade in two, one end now being held in his hand and the other still in the hilt of her sword.

Her surprise lasting only for a moment, she leaped back to put some distance between the two of them, further helped by the fact that he seemed more interested in the blade in his hand than her. Taking only a second to withdraw the broken blade from the hilt, she put her sword back into its sheathe, a new blade attaching itself to the hilt.

She eyed him warily. No one should have been able to see an attack that fast coming, let alone stop it entirely.

"Hm…this blade looks so familiar…" He turned his gaze back over at her, his eyes staring directly at her own. "Wait a second…"

He charged again, this time with the broken edge of her sword in one of his hands. She tried to swing at him again, but he once again intercepted her blade, this time with the sword piece in his hands. His eyes were staring right into her own past her mask.

"Those eyes…I'd recognize them anywhere."

He broke their blade lock, leaping back as he laughed heartily.

"Tell me, how is your father doing, Raven?"

She was taken completely off guard by his question. How did he know her father? He had certainly made no mention of a winged Faunus like the one in front of her before he passed away. She responded with a cautious tone.

"He's passed on now. Killed after single handedly holding off a Grimm invasion for almost a full day. We buried his body almost twenty years ago."

The Faunus looked almost saddened by what she told him.

"What a pity. Truly, I am sorry to hear that." He sighed. "Your father and I go very far back, I'll tell you that much, Raven. You were just a little baby when I last saw him." He chuckled. "You were always his favorite, you know."

She didn't remember her father, one Stark Branwen, ever being friends with a Faunus like him.

"Who are you?"

He looked genuinely surprised to hear such a question.

"You don't remember me? I'm-"

He was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice. They both turned their heads to where it was coming from, and they saw a black robed woman with stark white skin tone and deep red eyes. There was no mistaking it; this was the woman that Raven was looking for.

"What exactly are you doing? I believe you have a battle to be carrying on with, do you not?"

The man nodded in compliance.

"Apologies, Salem. I just wasn't expecting you to be followed by the daughter of an old friend of mine, is all."

So that was her name. She pointed her sword at the robed woman.

"Salem, was it? My masters are requesting an audience with you. I would advise that you come quietly; they don't like being kept waiting."

The woman merely chuckled in response.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm more than looking forward to meeting them. Right now, however, I believe the two of you have battle to finish."

The Faunus man laughed heartily.

"Indeed we do, Raven! We can catch up on old times later." He pointed the broken tip of her sword at her. "Right now, I want you to show me just how much of your father you have in you!" His eyes held nothing but joy in them, and an eager grin was clear on his face.

She sighed internally. If that was what it took to finish her mission, then it appeared that she had no choice.

She put her sword back into its sheathe, switching the Red Dust blade with a blue one.

With a swing, she sent a wave of ice at him, to which he responded by breathing a stream of flames from his mouth, the approaching ice rapidly melting as it drew closer.

Of course, that was all just a distraction from her real attack. As he busied himself with spewing fire from his mouth, she slipped into his blind spot, hand poised to draw her blade when she was close enough.

Just as she closed in and readied to swing at him, he flapped his wings, launching himself into the air and circling over her.

"Using your father's old tricks isn't going to work on me, you know!"

His tone was joyous, like he was well and truly having the time of his life right now.

She, on the other hand, was feeling quite exasperated at the situation. This was taking too long, and she was certain that her masters were growing impatient.

She sent wave after wave of ice at him with numerous swings of her sword, all of them either being deftly evaded or melted completely. Switching back to a Red Dust blade, she leaped into the air to meet him head on, both of their swords clashing with a resounding _clang_ of metal against metal.

Both of them landed on the ground a fair distance from each other, neither of them taking their eyes off the other.

"Not bad, Raven! Not bad at all! You wield your father's blades like a natural."

Her swords were the old blades of her father, the ones that he had used in his career as a huntsman. When he had passed on, she inherited his weapon, and she had trained long and hard to match his skill with it. In many respects, she had long since become better than he ever was.

"Thank you for the praise, but I can assure you that I haven't even gotten started."

"Then by all means! Show me more!"

He was laughing as he charged at her again, sword readied in one hand while his free hand had a stream of flame erupting from it.

She readied to meet his attack head on, drawing into her semblance.

Several of the blades in her sheathe shot out into the air, floating ponderously as they pointed at the rapidly approaching Faunus.

With a swing of her sword, each of them moved to swing at him from various angles. He wasn't deterred at the minor cuts they had given him, still charging forwards directly at her. She met this attack head on, all of her blades joining in with the one attached to her sword, over a dozen blades in total straining to hold back just one.

Neither side gave an inch to the other, both of them pushing with as much force as they could in an attempt to overpower each other.

Just as it looked like the man was about to get the upper hand on her, a dark black portal opened between them, a burst of black flame erupting not a moment later.

Both of them evaded the sudden attack with ease, despite their initial surprise. Both turned their heads to face Salem, who was holding a hand up, a dark black aura swirling around it.

"Apologies, but it would appear that I had to step in before you two killed each other."

"Nonsense, Salem! This was merely a test for both of us! Isn't that right, Raven?"

She could only nod her head slowly, not entirely sure of how she should respond.

"Regardless, I will have to cut your little reunion short, as unfortunate as that may be."

The man huffed in annoyance, though he deferred to her words.

"If you say so, Salem."

The robed woman turned to Raven expectantly.

"I believe it is time for us to go, Raven. I assume you can make a portal to take us all back?"

She nodded, swinging her sword and visualizing her destination to create the portal, the swirling vortex of red and black forming not too long afterwards.

She gestured for Salem to go first, the pale skinned woman nodding and stepping through the portal without a word.

The man was the next to go in.

"See you on the other side, Raven. I'm sure we'll have more time to catch up soon enough."

Somehow, she wasn't doubting his words.

Taking one last look at the cave (which had been devastated as a result of their battle), she stepped through the portal, closing it behind her.

She failed to notice the glowing pair of eyes that were watching the entire thing with great interest.

* * *

The ram had been watching from the shadows, entirely hidden from their view as they entered the portal taking them out of his cave.

Where they were going, he didn't know for sure, though he had a fairly good idea.

The other primals were playing a very dangerous game by letting Salem get close to them. He would've warned them, though he was already certain that they would just brush his counsel off like they always did.

It wasn't _his_ fault that every one of his fellow primals saw him as an odd one for his rather…unique perspective on the way the world of Remnant worked, and it most certainly wasn't his fault that no-one listened to him as a result of his…unfortunate reputation.

He had his own plans to attend to, anyways.

Just before he could turn his attention to the various other ploys he had already set in motion, he could feel a certain someone in the cave with him.

" _ **I'm home, daddy!"**_

The familiar voice in his head brought a smile to his face.

"Welcome home, John. Did you have fun on your playdate with…ah…who was it again?"

" _ **Her name was Neo, and yes, I had a lot of fun with her before I had to leave."**_

Right, one Ms. Neopolitan. He had misplaced the name in his old age.

John was always so fond of her. How long ago was it when he first started playing with her? Ten years, almost? Something like that, if his memory wasn't going senile like he was.

Then he remembered that John wasn't supposed to be home for at least a few more hours.

"Oh? Did something happen? You don't usually come home this early…"

" _ **Nothing much, really. Neo's friends were just being mean and I just didn't feel like staying with them around."**_

He suppressed the anger he was feeling. No one harmed a hair on John's head without paying tenfold for their foolishness.

"Well, then…do you want to do anything else, John?"

He could put his plans on hold for the moments. He had been working on them for at least a few decades by now; he could spare a couple of hours for his son.

" _ **Well, uh…do you think we could get some ice cream? I think Neo would've loved it, but I'm fine with sharing it with you too, daddy."**_

The ram smiled warmly.

"Of course, John. Whatever you want."

John was excited.

" _ **Thank you, daddy! You're the best! Oh! Can we bring mommy too?"**_

Oh dear. John's mother was a rather sore issue that he had yet to properly break to him. He held it off for some time now, and he still felt that John just wasn't ready.

"I'm sorry, dear, but your mother is busy right now…"

John's lip's twisted into that accursed pout that never failed to tug at his heart.

" _ **Aw… but she's always busy!"**_

The ram interjected as quickly as he could before the child could say any more.

"But she did want me to tell you that she loves you!"

John was quickly placated by the words, an expression of sheer joy clear across his features.

" _ **Does**_ _**she?**_ _**Tell her that I love her too!"**_

"Of course, John. I'll tell her that as soon as she gets back."

The child nodded energetically, frantically waving his father off towards the cave exit as a way to get him to hurry.

" _ **Come on, daddy! Let's get us some ice cream!"**_

The ram chuckled heartily.

"I'm coming, John!"

Whatever plans he had to deal with later, he could worry about them another time.

Right now, he had just made his son very happy, and that was what really mattered.

* * *

AN: John. Short and sweet. Rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it? Ha…No.

In all seriousness, however, that's his name, and I'm sticking with it. As for the ram being his father, that part was always planned out, though the exact nature of their relationship as such was much darker in my original plans than it was here (well, it's still pretty dark: "ice cream" is being used as a euphemism here). Furthermore, John's mother was meant to both be present and also be the parent he inherited his complete sadism from, but in this version, she's not around, and his rather…unique personality is coming from his father. That should really set off some warning bells regarding the ram, right?

Regardless, it looks like things have just wrapped up pretty nicely. The worm is out of Cinder's head, Neo's safe, and Raven has just taken Salem to the primals.

As for what happens next, well, you guys will just have to wait for the next chapter to find out.

Thank you very much for reading, hopefully you guys enjoyed it. If you are so inclined, please don't hesitate to leave a review stating what you thought or to send any questions you have my way. Thanks again, and stay safe.


	14. Chapter 14: Pawns To Pawns

AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall! Previously, quite a few things happened, most important being the removal of the worm from Cinder's head, followed by Dr. Thalon keeping Neo alive, and finally, Raven taking Salem to meet the primals. As for what happens next, well, I think I'll let you guys see for yourself.

So, without further ado, I present chapter 14 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

Cinder Fall

When Cinder finally woke up from what felt like an eternity in a cold, black void, she found herself in a mostly empty room with stark white walls. She was laid out on what seemed to be an operating table, of sorts, a number of odd looking machines scattered about in a loose circle around her. Nothing looked familiar at all.

' _You're awake, Cinder, and not a moment too soon. I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it.'_

Fall had a hint of concern in its voice, though it seemed mostly like its usual self. That was at least one familiar thing that she could somewhat recognize. As for everything else, well…she'd have to figure that out; if her experience had taught her anything, then it was that knowing wasn't just half the battle, but also the one thing that won you it, as well.

'Where am I?'

' _That, I am not sure, though I don't believe that the people here mean you any harm.'_

How did she get here? Wasn't she supposed to be in Vale?

'What happened?'

Fall took a moment before answering.

' _What do you remember last?'_

She tried remembering, and the effort gave her nothing but a painful headache as she tried to recall what had happened after she lost consciousness battling that black…thing from earlier, utterly exhausted from tapping into as much of the maiden's power as she did.

'The last thing I remember is our fight in Vale, just before I passed out from exhaustion.'

' _Then you have missed much, Cinder. In fairness, not all of it is clear to me either, though I will try my best to explain everything I can. Firstly-'_

Fall was cut off when the door opened, a hooded man (at least, the general body shape seemed to be that of a man; it was hard to tell underneath that coat) with a mask covering his face walking in. The only identifying thing about the mask was the single, glowing orange eye, the rest of it being a dull shade of gray.

The rest of his body (from the looks of it, somewhere around 6 feet in height) was covered by an extremely long white coat that had been buttoned up, which dragged behind him somewhat on the floor. Not a single inch of it had any holes (save for the ones that were supposed to be there) that one could use to get a glimpse at the man underneath.

A scroll tablet was in his gloved hands, various bits of information whirling across the screen as he typed something into it. His eye's gaze turned over to her, and she immediately slid off of the table and onto her feet, meeting his gaze with a cautious look in her eyes. She had a flaming hand raised at him, ready to attack if need be.

The man made no response to her threat, merely replying in a near completely monotone voice, a faint metallic edge in his tone.

"So you are awake. He will be pleased to hear that."

A number of scenarios were playing out in her head. She didn't like how most of them ended, primarily a result from the unfortunate fact that she absolutely _no_ idea who this man was. She'd have to fix that.

"Who are you?"

A shutter closed over the glowing eye for a split second, probably his equivalent of a blink, before he replied, again in that same, almost robotic voice.

"Your memory is in a fragile state, it seems. He did all he could for you, but it would appear that there is still much left to be done."

She didn't like repeating herself. Something in her told her to simply take her chances at taking him down, despite Fall's protests to the contrary.

"Who are you?"

"You don't remember who I am?" The eye flashed yellow for the briefest of moments before returning to orange. "Then it is worse than we expected."

Was he evading her question? That did _not_ sit well with her. Just before she could send a fireball at him, however, he continued speaking, his head bowed ever so slightly.

"Doctor David Ryder, to answer your question. If you don't remember me, then I doubt you would remember the rest of us, correct?"

The name sounded vaguely familiar, and the more she thought about it, the more her headache worsened. Pushing that thought away to spare herself the pain, she lowered her hand partially, the flame still burning in her palm, if a little less dangerously so.

Whoever this man was, he (as well as some other people, based off what he said) seemed to have some sort of connection with her. What that connection was, however, was entirely unknown to her. Ignoring the question he had posed, she responded with another one of her own.

"What is this place? Where am I?"

He had only one answer for her.

"Home."

"What?"

"You heard me. This was your home, at least for a time."

She had no idea what he was talking about; she didn't recall ever being in this place before.

"After a point, we moved you over to Mistral and left you to your own devices."

Her earliest memories had been of her life in Mistral, hadn't they? Born and raised for great things, she had been taken by…someone before any of that could come to pass. She had spent her days afterwards cursing his…her… _their_ existence while plotting her vengeance. All her plans had come to their beautiful fruition, years of preparation paying off in one fell stroke…right?

Why couldn't she remember any of that anymore?

There was nothing but nothing to remember. There were glimpses, no doubt, but faint and fleeting ones at best.

All she had done in pursuit of her vengeance was clear in her mind, yet the reason why she did it eluded her. People like Roman, Emerald, Mercury, and Adam were all easily recognizable in her memories, yet the masked man in front of her was completely alien to her, despite his claims to the contrary.

"Why can't I remember any of that?"

The eye rotated in its socket slightly with a mechanical _whir_ , like he was pondering an answer.

"Your mind is recovering right now. It will take time for all of it to be fully healed."

"Recovering from what, exactly?"

Fall responded before the man could.

" _A monstrous abomination had corrupted your mind, Cinder. Removing its influence had taken a long, difficult battle, and it left a number of scars even after we had finished it off."_

She didn't have any reason to doubt Fall's words, though wrapping her head around the idea proved rather…difficult, to say the least. The throbbing headache had returned, worse than before, and she was beginning think that it had something to with all of this.

Regardless, she had other things to handle right now.

"Dr. Ryder, was it?" He nodded almost imperceptibly. "What happens now?"

"Firstly, I believe it would be most prudent for you to stop pointing your flaming hand at me so I can stop doing the same to you."

Just as he said that, she took notice of a very slight, almost entirely unnoticeable bulge at the lower right side of his coat. She had more than enough experience to figure out that he had been pointing a weapon of his own at her the entire time: a threat he had made in response to her own.

She lowered her hand, the flame flickering out as she did so. The bulge in his coat receded back at the same time. The man maintained an almost unnatural level of calm as he continued onward.

"My apologies, but there is no such thing as being too careful. Offer one hand while arming the other and all that, you see."

She didn't have time for this.

"Answer my question."

"Oh, right. Well, I was meaning to do a thorough check on your physical condition, though it appears that you're recovering quite nicely, in that regard. He will be pleased to hear that, at least. I supposed, then, that you're free to go as you please."

That name came up again. Who was he talking about?

"He?"

The masked man shook his head.

"You don't remember him either, do you?"

Of course she didn't. She wouldn't be asking if she did.

"I don't."

He walked over to one of the machines, writing something down on his scroll tablet before returning his attention to her.

"Then it would be in your best interest to stay so he can tell you himself." He looked back at the screen of his tablet, writing something else down. "That will be awhile, however. He is…indisposed, as of right now." He gestured to the door with a free hand. "Like I said earlier, however, you can go whenever you please."

There was a very slight hint of uncertainty in his monotonous voice, though it was barely noticeable even to her finely tuned sense of hearing.

Her mind was pondering her options at the moment.

She could leave now and find out not only where she was, but also how much of her plans had been derailed from this unfortunate setback.

That didn't particularly feel like a pressing need, however. She would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't want to find out more about whoever "he" was, as well as his connection to her. She could spare the time to wait.

"I'll play along, at least for now."

The doctor nodded, leaving the room not too long after.

She was alone now, the periodic beeping of the machines the only thing breaking the oppressive silence. If nothing else, she could ask Fall about whatever else it knew while she waited.

Speaking of which…

'What were you saying before Dr. Ryder came in, Fall?'

' _Nothing terribly important, Cinder. Just my own recollection of what happened before you woke up.'_

She almost laughed at its words.

'How would that not be important, exactly?'

' _Apologies, Cinder. I thought you'd have at least some idea of what was going on while you were unconscious. Clearly, that isn't the case.'_

'Indeed it is. Now then, tell me, what did you mean by something corrupting my mind?'

' _It had buried itself deep into your psyche, deep enough that even I failed to notice before it was too late. At some point, that monster's influence took me as well, turning me against you without me even noticing it. You have nothing but my deepest apologies for my failure.'_

She wasn't normally one to take failure for an answer, though she wasn't unwilling to make exceptions, especially not in this rather…unique situation.

'There is no need for apologies, Fall. Just tell me what happened next.'

Fall sounded almost relieved as it continued on.

' _Thank you, Cinder. Now, as for what happened after, I was cleansed of that monster's corruption by a mysterious man, most likely the one that the doctor had been talking about.'_

That certainly piqued her interest. She had a lead on who "he" was, from the looks of it.

'Then what happened next?'

' _Both of us turned our efforts to removing the rest of the taint from your mind, and he was the one that struck the final blow, felling the beast and purging it once and for all.'_

From what Fall was telling her, whoever that man was, he had taken an interest in her, though she didn't know what that interest might be. If he had been strong enough to face Fall and win, however, then she would have to be cautious with him.

'Interesting…is there anything else you have for me?'

Fall took a moment before answering.

' _I know what you're thinking, but I don't believe he means you any harm. He went quite out of his way to ensure your safety, and I doubt that any of that wasn't genuine.'_

Fall's assurances gave her some level of security in the belief that this mysterious man wasn't an enemy, though she would have to meet the man himself before she could form her own conclusions.

She would have to wait, of course. From what the doctor had said, it was going to be awhile before she could get the chance.

'Oh well…'

She was no stranger to waiting, and she had some patience to spare, at least for the moment.

Finding that she had just about nothing else to do, she laid back out on the table and closed her eyes.

Her better judgement told her to not let her guard down just yet, but the rest of her told her to get some rest. She was more inclined to listen to the latter, in truth, and she did.

She was still rather exhausted, and it wasn't long before she let sleep take her.

* * *

Mercury Black

' _Not this again…"_

Mercury hated waking up in unfamiliar places, and the distorted landscape in front of him certainly fit that description.

Black and red buildings stretched endlessly into the skies and into the distance, clashing in a cacophony of colors for miles on end, a wide, red stained street cutting the urban jungle in two down the middle. The scent of blood permeated the area to such an extent that he could practically taste it. He didn't mind it that much, admittedly, but he did take issue with the fact that he had no idea where he was.

As far as he knew, he should have been at Beacon right now, waiting for Cinder to finish up whatever it was that she was doing down in the vault. In the meanwhile, he occupied himself by killing any Grimm that were stupid enough to attack him.

At some point, he must have blacked out, as that was the last thing he could remember before he woke up here. He'd have to find the people that brought him here, whoever they were, and teach them why it was never a good idea to try kidnapping one Mercury Black.

Maybe he could find some enjoyment in making them suffer before he ended them. He'd have to find them first, however.

Figuring that he had nothing better to do, he began walking down the blood stained streets, hoping that a short stroll would help jog his memories, and if nothing else, he didn't like sitting around waiting for something to happen.

Thankfully for him, he had barely taken a few steps before he heard the sound of a window shattering, a body falling to the ground from the broken window, landing with a dull _thud_. He walked over to the fallen body, which laid motionlessly on the cold concrete after landing. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a knife hanging out of the man's neck, a clear sign that he had been murdered.

Vaguely, Mercury could recall that this man had been one of the many, _many_ people he had killed. If he recalled correctly, he was a hit-man, or something like that, one that had been sent to take his life, as foolish as such a thing sounded.

He didn't recognize the man's face, though to be fair, he only bothered to commit particularly interesting victims to memory.

He certainly wouldn't bother to remember some middle aged man with black hair and dark brown eyes. People like that were a dime a dozen, and he stopped counting his kills ages ago, somewhere around several dozen, if his memory served him correctly.

His count got particularly high after he killed his father in cold blood. Marcus Black was a living legend, of sorts, in the criminal underworld, and once his numerous enemies found out that he had a…early retirement, they were rather quick to send their assassins after his only son, his last legacy.

Not one of them ever made it back alive, of course, but they were quite an annoyance for him, especially in the early months where each one seemed to always be replaced by two more. It made doing whatever Cinder had him do for her plans quite tedious, in truth.

At least the pay was good, and he wasn't referring to the generous amounts of Lien, either. Just because he never bothered to count up his victims, that didn't mean he ever forgot to take his enjoyment in prolonging their deaths as painfully as possible.

He kicked the lifeless corpse to the side, continuing on past it without so much as a second glance.

This street felt…wrong, somehow. It was almost as if he was being watched.

He heard another window shatter, but the sound wasn't coming from above. Instead, he heard it not too far ahead in front of him, and when he looked to the broken window, he saw someone jump out into the street.

His eyes widened, if only for a moment. A cocky grin worked its way across his face not long after.

Unlike the previous man from before, he recognized this person quite clearly.

"Back for round two, dad?"

Marcus Black only glared at his treacherous son, nothing but pure hatred in his eyes.

"No, Mercury. I'm here for your head."

A small chuckle escaped Mercury's lips, growing into a hearty laugh and then a howling cackle.

"That…that is just too goddamn _hilarious_ , dad."

His father scowled in response.

"You won't be laughing once I'm through with you, son."

The self-assured smile that Mercury wore on his face only grew wider.

"Well, if you're so eager to die _again_ , then bring it on."

Both father and son stared at each other, neither making a move. Mercury armed his greaves, his father doing the same with his own. Both eyed each other warily, waiting to see who would make the first move.

Mercury was acting rather cautiously, unlike his usual approach: despite all the bravado, he knew that his father had earned his famed reputation for a very good reason. Killing him back then had been just as much from blind luck as it was actual skill.

He had improved much since that time, though, so he just might have stood a chance now.

Both of them fired a single shot from their boots, the bullets colliding with each other just as the two of them launched forwards with a shot aimed at the ground.

They met in a flurry of kicks and sweeps in mid-air, neither of them giving an inch as they rapidly descended to the ground.

Mercury landed first, leaping back and sending a barrage of wind bullets at Marcus as he did so. The man was quick to dodge, though in doing so, he had to take his attention off his son, who used the distraction to amass a second, much larger storm of projectiles around himself, kicking into the air repeatedly with his armored boots while spinning in place.

By the time the older man took notice of what Mercury was doing, the boy had already sent each and every one of the wind bullets flying directly at him, some of the shots scoring a direct hit while others slammed into the ground and stirred up a thick cloud of dust.

Mercury already knew that it wasn't going to be enough, but he took this brief break in the fight to catch his breath; that short clash he had with his father at the opening was easily the most difficult one he had ever been in, and it spoke quite well of his improvement since he had managed to get the upper hand in it by the end.

The sound of a _click_ followed by the familiar _bang_ of a gunshot stirred him out of his brief rest, Marcus flying out of the smoke with the speed of a bullet and landing a brutal axe kick down on the ground Mercury was standing on, falling just short of his son's head when the boy's reactions kicked in just in time to avoid what would've most likely been a devastating blow.

Regardless, the sheer force sent Mercury flying backwards, landing in a heap and skidding to a halt on the cold concrete as his father looked on while cracking his neck.

"Is that all you got, son?"

Mercury picked himself up, a scowl on his face. Playtime was over.

"You haven't seen nothing yet, old man. Time to die."

Marcus scoffed at his son's defiant words.

"That's what you said last time, isn't it? What makes you think it'll happen this time?"

Mercury was undeterred. He had killed his father once, he could do it again, luck or lack thereof be damned.

No. Could wasn't the right word. He _would_ do it again.

"Oh, I'll make sure it does. Any last words, dad?"

The man chuckled darkly.

"I should be asking you that, son."

Both let a cocky smile cross their faces; like father, like son, at least in that respect.

Just as quickly as they appeared, however, the smiles disappeared, replaced by snarls of rage.

Both charged at each other with blinding speed, again engaging in a brutal contest of dominance with a blinding flurry of kicks and sweeps.

Both looked evenly matched, yet Mercury had been careless for just a second too long, Marcus exploiting an opening in his guard to sweep the boy's legs out from under him.

Mercury fell to the ground hard, and he found himself in the rather unfortunate position of being on the ground directly beneath where Marcus had aimed yet another devastating axe kick, mere milliseconds away from connecting.

In the blink of an eye, Mercury brought a leg up to meet the attack, just barely in time to hold it off. The result left the two of them at a deadlock.

That didn't last long, however, as Marcus kicked up with his other leg and brought it down, the attack connecting directly with Mercury's outstretched leg, eliciting a shout of pain.

Curiously, however, the prosthetic limb seemed just fine when, by all rights, it should have been rendered useless after a hit like that.

Not one to question his good fortune, however, Mercury took advantage of the new opening in his father's guard, created by the kick that had been meant to cripple him.

He fired a barrage of shells directly into his father's chest with his other leg, the attack depleting his aura and causing the man to stagger back. Not a moment after, he leaped up to the ground and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to the man's side in an instant.

Before his father could be sent flying away by the force, however, Mercury brought a leg up and crashed it down on the man's body, driving him into the ground with a sickening (satisfying, in his book) _crunch_ as several ribs no doubt shattered from the impact. Marcus let out a howl of pain, a hateful shout escaping his lips not long after.

"Damn you, Mercury!"

At this point, the son had just about enough of hearing his father talk, just like he had all those years ago. Each word, the exact same words he had delivered the first time, dripped with cold fury.

"Dad, just shut up already."

The man screamed in rage, nothing but pure hatred flowing out of his mouth. The words he gave were the exact same ones he gave the last time.

"Is this what I taught you to do!? Betray me, your own Dust-damned father!? You don't even deserve to call yourself a Black, let alone my son! I should've-"

Mercury did the same thing he did last time when they got to this point.

" _Shut. Up."_

Each word was punctuated with another shot to the man's chest, the sound of more shattering bones giving him nothing but a sense of pure bliss.

Granted, his father's screams of pain might have also had something to do with that; the man had died at this point last time, and such left Mercury without a chance to give the old man the send-off he deserved. Now he had a second chance, and he took it gladly.

"I don't need to be your son, and quite frankly, I don't want to be. You were a right _bastard_ of a man, and there is no way in _hell_ that I would ever want you to call you my father."

Each word was scathing in meaning, yet he delivered them in the calmest tone imaginable.

Marcus only laughed, the action sending him into a fit of hacking coughs.

"That's rich, coming from a killer like you! You and me, we're both the same, and you know it!"

He scowled hatefully at his son.

"To _hell_ with that, you're even worse than I could ever be! At least I do what I do for the money! You!? You've don't even have that!"

Somewhere deep inside him, Mercury knew that his father was right in that regard. He could only laugh bitterly.

"Maybe you're right. But you know what, dad?"

He smiled, but it didn't have the usual cocky edge behind it, only a mix of bitterness and resignation.

"That's fine by me."

He raised his leg, poised to drop it over the man's head for the final blow.

"Any final words, dad?"

The man uttered one final, hateful whisper as an answer.

"Rot in hell, Mercury."

Mercury gave the man his final send-off.

"Good night…Marcus."

In an instant, Mercury brought his leg down, his boot connecting with Marcus's head with an audible _crunch_.

Any more force behind that kick, and his head might have just popped like a grape. If he were being honest with himself, Mercury really should have done that now that he had a second chance to kill his "father" the right way. Either way, however, Marcus Black was dead, again.

If Mercury didn't see that man ever again, it would be too soon.

Interestingly enough, the man's corpse withered away to nothing in mere seconds, not unlike a dead Grimm evaporating into thin air. Taking one last look, Mercury made to continue onwards, wanting to put the past as far behind him as he possibly could.

At least, that's what he would've done, if his body was willing to move.

He couldn't move a muscle, his entire body frozen by some unseen force. Involuntarily, his eyes began to close shut, despite his best efforts to keep them open. They were shut tightly, and in his ears, he could hear a faint sound.

The sound got louder with every second, and it sounded distinctively like the rapid turning of the pages of a book. The sound dominated his hearing, and his eyes somehow shut even tighter.

Then, all of a sudden, the pages stopped turning in his ears, and he could feel control of his body returning to him.

When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the eerie red and black cityscape, instead waking up in a strange room, no lights active save for the dim one shining down on the table in front of him.

His limbs were tied down firmly to a metal chair, and while he was certain that someone like Emerald would have relatively no trouble getting out of them, he wasn't so certain that he would have the same experience.

He wasn't alone, either.

Across the table was a red hooded man, his attention seemingly focused on reading a strange, heavy looking book in his hands. There was a slight grin across his face, as if he looked amused by something. The strange man didn't take his eyes off the book as he began to talk.

"Never a dull moment with you, is there Mr. Black?"

"Where am I? Who are-"

The man cut him off before he could finish.

"Who am I, you ask?"

He shut his book tightly, turning his eyes, both of which were glowing ever so faintly with a dull purple, over to face him.

"James Raau. _Doctor_ James Raau, if you really want to get technical, though I don't really mind either way. As for where you are, well, I can't exactly give you that bit just yet."

James Raau, not exactly a name one would easily forget, admittedly, but Mercury certainly couldn't recall ever hearing a name like that before.

"Why am I here?"

The man waved his hand absentmindedly, brushing the question off entirely.

"We'll get to that later. Right now, let's talk about _you_."

Mercury's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"What about me?"

Raau's expression hardened, the glow in his eyes darkening.

"You know, Mr. Black, you have one very, _very_ interesting mind, to say the least. I certainly enjoyed watching you kill your father…again."

Mercury didn't like what that implied. He replied cautiously.

"So you were behind that…whatever it was that I was in?"

He nodded, a small smile playing across his features.

"The human mind holds many secrets, you know. Yours wasn't any different."

Mercury didn't appreciate the intrusion into his mind, not in the slightest.

"I hope you had your fun the first time, because there's no way I'm letting you back in."

The doctor chuckled lightly.

"Oh, don't worry. One look is all I need to know everything about you."

Outwardly, Mercury only grinned darkly, though inwardly he was feeling rather nervous at the prospect of such a thing. He kept many secrets, after all, and he would rather die than let them come out.

"And why would you need to know that?"

The man laughed, seemingly amused by the question.

"Why else? Every little piece of the puzzle helps in giving us the whole picture, doesn't it? Your picture in particular is looking to be rather…interesting, to say the least."

Mercury put on the most confident grin he could muster, hoping that it'd be convincing enough.

"Oh? I feel like I should be flattered by that, but I'm not."

The man pulled out a handful of papers from his book, one of which had Mercury's picture on it.

"Heh…either way, it doesn't matter to me. Enough of that, however. Time to move on to more pressing matters."

Mercury eyed the papers curiously; from the looks of it, the doctor had been doing some rather extensive digging on him.

"Seems to me you already know plenty about me."

Raau shook his head.

"This?"

The man scoffed, grabbing the papers and tossing them away without a care.

"They're nothing. No, I needed to see the real deal, and I wasn't disappointed."

Taking a brief moment to process what he had just said, Mercury replied in a neutral, irreverent tone.

"Should I be saying thank you for that, or something?"

The hooded man chuckled darkly.

"No. At least, not yet."

Raau's attention drifted for a second, almost like he was thinking deeply about something. Such gave Mercury an opening in their little conversation.

"You still haven't answered my question, you know. Why am I here?"

His expression turned pensive for a moment before he answered.

"What would you say if I asked you to consider a…change of employers, so to speak?"

Not exactly what Mercury had expected, but he wasn't terribly surprised by the offer. Still, he wasn't all that eager to accept; Cinder didn't take too kindly to her people going behind her back, after all, and he was rather partial to _not_ being burned alive (as much as he liked seeing it happen to other people that were _not_ him).

"And why would I want anything like that? Cinder's going to kill me if she finds about this, you know."

The man only smiled in response.

"Oh, don't worry about her...we've already taken care of that little issue."

Mercury's eyes widened slightly. Assuming that the man wasn't lying (and his body language wasn't giving any of the telltale signs of deception), then it appeared that he found himself in a rather…uncomfortable position. He replied cautiously, his tone uncertain.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing at all, I assure you. The point I'm making here is that you don't exactly have any sort of commitments holding you down, though I doubt that was ever going to be a concern for you."

He wasn't wrong, admittedly. Mercury didn't feel any particular loyalty towards Cinder, only following her out of his own self-interest (though the threat of her incinerating him if he ever disappointed her also served as a rather effective motivator).

"I admit, you're not wrong, but that doesn't exactly give me any reason to join up with you. Especially not if these," he inclined his heads towards the restraints binding him to the chair, "are any indication of what you have in mind for me."

The doctor stood up from his chair, walking over to Mercury's side of the table and freeing both his arms and legs. He didn't seem all that concerned with the very fact that Mercury was now entirely capable of making a break for it, nonchalantly walking back to his side and sitting down again.

"Maybe now we can have a more…civil conversation, Mr. Black?"

Mercury grinned darkly, arming his boots.

"Sure thing. It'll be a real short one, though."

The man laughed, a dark glint in his eyes.

"Oh, it'll absolutely be a very short one."

Before Mercury could even get up from his chair, he was surprised to find that he had lost control of his body, any actions that he would've taken stopping dead in their tracks. His legs moved on their own, a pale purple glow emanating from them as they stepped over to the doctor, who was only giving an amused grin at the sight. Shock was evident on Mercury's face.

"What did you do!?"

Raau got up from his chair, circling Mercury's frozen body with a casual pace.

"Aura's a strange thing, you know. When you've worked with it as long as I have, well…you can learn quite a few interesting tricks about how to play with it, and not just your own, either."

He snapped his fingers, Mercury's left arm going up involuntarily. The man looked over the outstretched arm, like he was searching for something.

"You should've paid just a bit more attention a couple moments ago. Maybe then, you would've caught this little beauty right here…"

He plucked a tiny needle that Mercury hadn't even noticed go in at all from his hand, right around where his wrists were being tied down a few moments ago. Inwardly, the grey-haired boy cursed himself for his foolishness.

' _Dammit.'_

He had been careless, wondering why the man was seemingly letting him go free when he should have been paying more attention to the man himself. Now he was paying the price, and he didn't like it.

The man held the needle up in front of his eyes, inspecting it for a moment before putting it into his red coat.

"What was in that thing?"

"Aura. More specifically, _my_ aura. Don't ask how I made that happen, just know that you've now got a piece of me running around inside you. Don't worry too much, your aura should be able kick mine out in a few hours."

He chuckled.

"Meanwhile, however, I believe we have things to discuss?"

Mercury could feel the invisible force holding his head in place lift, though the rest of his body was still frozen. Figuring that he didn't really have anything to lose, he simply nodded in response to the man's question.

"Fine. I'm all ears."

The man pointed back to the table, Mercury's body involuntarily walking him back to his seat and sitting down, the man doing the same with his own.

"Perfect. Now then, I believe that you'll find the work we're going to have you do for us isn't all that different from Cinder was having you do beforehand."

"Oh, joy."

Sarcasm dripped from those words like honey; Mercury wasn't exactly excited with the prospect. The man picked up on this fact rather quickly, if the knowing look in his eyes was any indication.

"I figured that you wouldn't like that. It seems like I had you pegged right, after all."

Mercury only gave a cocky grin in response.

"Really, now? Pray tell."

The man spoke in a calm, almost judgmental tone.

"You're not in it for the money, you sure as hell don't do it out of any sort of loyalty for anyone but yourself, and you could care less for any of the higher causes that most normal people use as their excuse for doing whatever it is that they want to do."

That was a rather accurate assessment, to say the least. In truth, Mercury had to admit that the doctor had just about hit the nail on the head. Not that he needed to know that, of course.

"Sure. Your point?"

"We're not offering any of that here. At least, not for someone like you."

Mercury scoffed at the words.

"Oh? Then what _do_ you offer?"

The man's face grew contemplative for a moment before he responded.

"Tell me something. Do you have any idea who we are or what we do?"

He didn't have a clue; Cinder never really told him anything, though he wasn't sure if even she knew anything about these people.

"Am I supposed to? Because I really don't."

The man's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing.

"Fair enough. I won't bore you with any of the details, but I will tell you that we're the ones that keep this world safe from the things that man just wasn't meant to know." He chuckled. "Of course, I know that doesn't matter to you in the slightest; all you care about is the thrill."

Mercury nodded slowly.

"What's the point in doing something if I can't have a little fun while doing it?"

The man smiled, amused at the words.

"There isn't one, and I can tell you now that joining up with us gives you an experience you won't be forgetting anytime soon."

Mercury was weighing his options right now. Returning to Cinder's employ clearly wasn't an option, though neither was getting out of here and going freelancer; the hooded man in front of him had seen to that. Given the lack of any alternatives, he supposed that he could hear out the man's offer, at least for the moment.

"Alright, fine…you've got my attention, at least for now."

The man's smile widened.

"Splendid. Now then, I won't mince words; I know you don't give a damn about anyone other than yourself, but just hear me out."

The smile disappeared, replaced by a grim expression.

"Dark days are coming, Mr. Black, and you're just as much at risk as anyone else."

Mercury maintained a calm expression, undaunted by the rather dire warning that the man was giving him.

"You're not giving me enough credit. Ever since I killed my dad, I've been up to my neck in hitmen and mercenaries after the bounty on my head, and I've already lived this long, haven't I?"

The man replied simply, his tone sounding entirely unimpressed.

"Perhaps. But those two-bit thugs looking to make a name for themselves are nothing compared to the things that _we_ deal with, and I'm certain that you'd be interested in more…challenging victims, would you not?"

That certainly caught Mercury's attention. The man wasn't wrong in saying that, not in the slightest.

"And can I assume that you'll be able to provide me with those…challenges?"

He nodded almost imperceptibly. Mercury smiled darkly in response.

"Then it looks like you just might have my interest. Go on."

The man grinned, the glow in his eyes brightening.

"Good, but I only have one final thing to ask of you."

He outstretched a hand.

"Are you in?"

Mercury could feel the invisible force lifting from one of his arms, and he took the offered hand in a firm handshake without a moment's hesitation. The man smiled, pleased with the boy's answer.

"Excellent choice, Mr. Black…excellent choice."

Just as the man said that, Mercury could feel control over the rest of his body returning to him. Now that he could move freely again, he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his neck.

"Dr. Raau, was it? Let's drop the formalities, shall we? It's just Mercury now."

The doctor chuckled in response.

"Fair enough, Mercury. And please, it's just James."

The man got up from his chair, taking his book in one of his hands and making for the door. Mercury stopped him before he could make it, however.

"So what happens now?"

He answered back over his shoulder in a calm tone.

"Now? Now I'm going to see if your partner is as reasonable as you are."

' _Emerald…_ '

Mercury tensed up at the mention of his partner, to his own surprise. His next words came out of his mouth before he could even think about them.

"Take it easy on Em, would you?"

The doctor laughed slightly as he continued towards the door.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Do whatever you want, just don't leave this room until I get back."

With that, he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him, leaving Mercury alone with his thoughts. That suited him just fine; he needed to take a step back and reevaluate his situation at the moment.

' _What did I just sign on for, again?'_

He didn't particularly mind leaving Cinder, admittedly, but that didn't mean that he was fully on board with joining up with these people either. They had good intentions, based off what he had pieced together, though such didn't particularly make a difference to him.

At the very least, to some extent, he took the man's warning at face value, and being the survivalist he was, he decided that he'd likely have a better chance of making it through these "dark days" if he joined what seemed to be the winning team. Some part of him even entertained thoughts about joining whatever forces these people were opposing, assuming that they provided an even better chance.

After all, he only cared for himself, though he was rather partial to the handful of things that could bring him some measure of amusement.

 _'Like Emerald.'_

The stray thought took him by surprise, and he shook his head vigorously to clear it from his mind.

' _Damn it…her again?'_

Why couldn't he take her off his mind? They were just partners, nothing more. They were at each other's throats more often than he cared to count. They were supposed to hate each other, right?

He slammed his fist down on the table, the action sending a dull, throbbing pain straight to his brain; a welcome distraction, in his book.

He sighed dejectedly.

Maybe he did have some regrets for leaving Cinder's group after all.

Well, at least one of them, anyways.

* * *

Emerald Sustrai

' _What is this place…?'_

Emerald awoke to a very unusual sight, namely a completely empty void with no end in sight. How she had gotten here, she didn't know.

The last thing she could remember was fighting for her life back at Beacon, waiting for Cinder to finish up down in the vault. She didn't recall exactly how many Grimm she had slaughtered, though it certainly felt like she had killed at least several dozen in all the fighting. Somewhere along the way, everything went black, and she felt nothing but a numbing coldness.

She was stuck like that for what felt like forever until she finally woke up to this empty void. The numbing coldness had subsided, now nothing more than a dull chill running down her back.

She had a feeling that she wasn't alone, that she was being watched by someone, and she didn't like it. Her eyes scanned across the emptiness, trying to find _something_ to confirm her suspicions, but she found nothing.

' _Huh…I could have sworn that-'_

"Hello, Ms. Sustrai."

She heard a voice. Just as suddenly as it came, she could see someone else walking towards her through the void, a red cloaked figure that easily stood a head over her carrying an opened book in his hands. His eyes were transfixed on the pages as they turned of their own accord, a deep purple aura emanating from the book as he approached.

Once he was just a short distance away from her, he shut the book entirely, tucking it away into his cloak as he turned his gaze on her. His eyes were a deep shade of purple, both glowing ever so slightly with some unknown power.

"Who are you? Where are we?"

He bowed his head slightly as he answered.

"James Raau, at your service. As for your other question, well, that will be a bit more difficult to answer." He chuckled. "To put it simply, we're inside your mind. At least, I believe this is your mind." He shrugged. "It seems…rather empty, to be honest. No offense, of course."

A look of confusion crossed her features as he said that.

"What do you mean?"

"Most normal folk have plenty of things happening inside their heads, yet yours, to put it simply, has practically nothing. As for why that is, well, I suppose that's something I'll just have to find out."

He looked around the void carefully, like he was looking for something. She watched him closely as he walked over to a seemingly unimportant patch of emptiness, kneeling down and placing one of his hands on the ground.

After a surge of what she assumed to be his aura, his hand glowed with a bright purple energy, sinking into the ground for a short while before he pulled it back up, a discolored bubble of sorts coming up along with his hand.

He eyed the bubble curiously as it floated about, the colors inside it rapidly changing from a deep red to a gloomy blue and back in rapid succession.

"Now what do we have here? A memory, perhaps?"

He motioned for her to come over, and she did so cautiously.

"What are you doing?"

"Tell me something, Ms. Sustrai. Look into the bubble, and what do you see?"

She looked, and at first, she saw nothing at all. Just before she could look away, however, vague, distorted images appeared inside it, though she couldn't make out what they were showing. She focused her eyes, and the distortion slowly faded away. It wasn't long before it showed a very clear picture.

One showing herself and Cinder, from the time that she had cornered her in that alley and forced her into helping with her plans.

" _What…?"_

"What do you see?"

"I see…Cinder and me."

He nodded, a contemplative look crossing his features.

"Hm…So that's what it is…"

"What do you mean?"

He waved her question off casually with one of his hands.

"It's nothing, really. Just a hunch. Could you do me another favor and close your eyes?"

She eyed him suspiciously.

"Why would I do that?"

He responded calmly.

"Well, unless you plan on being stuck inside your head for the rest of your days, then I would suggest letting me wake you up."

She took a moment to just stare in shock at him before she started pondering her options in this rather…unusual situation. Given her complete lack of experience in dealing with something like this, it seemed like the best option was to accept his help.

He seemed trustworthy enough, for a stranger. Of course, in her experience, that meant that he was likely the complete opposite, so she would have to tread carefully.

She closed her eyes slowly, tensing up as she heard what sounded like the rapid turning of the pages of a book. She tried opening her eyes, but they wouldn't move. She soon found that the rest of her body was out of her control as the sound of turning pages dominated her hearing. Even with her eyes shut tightly, she could see a brilliant flash of light past her closed eyelids.

She was able to open her eyes again, and when she did, she found herself in a barren room surrounded by dull grey walls. She was tied down to a chair, though her arms were free, for some reason. In front of her was a relatively normal looking table, along with the same man from before seated across from her, an unreadable expression on his features.

"Welcome back, Ms. Sustrai."

She could feel a headache quickly flaring up, not unlike the ones she would get if she used her semblance on too many people at once. Pushing the pain down as best she could, she turned her attention back to the man in front of her.

"What was that?"

"A simple delve into your mind, nothing more. While I apologize for the intrusion into your psyche, there are many things that such can tell about a person, and you are no different."

She had only one thing to ask of him.

"Why?"

His features grew pensive for a moment before returning to a neutral expression. He answered in a calm tone.

"Hm…straight to the point, are we? Alright, then."

His expression hardened as he continued on.

"Do you know how in over your head you are? How far Cinder has brought you into her little game without your knowledge?"

Emerald wasn't quite sure what he meant by that. As far as she knew, all Cinder had done was give her a better life than she could have ever asked for. Why would she ever be ungrateful for something like that?

No more stealing just to find another meal for the day.

No more nights spent starving in the forgotten alleyways.

No more fighting the rats for the last scrap of food.

That had all been left behind her when she joined Cinder's little faction, given herself up so she could escape the hell that was her life on the streets. So what if she was in over her head? _Anything_ would've been better than what she had before.

She responded coldly.

"What do you mean?"

He eyed her curiously.

"She never did tell you why she needed the power of the Fall Maiden, did she?"

In all honesty, she didn't. Cinder had been very insistent that Emerald keep any and all "unnecessary" questions to herself. Unfortunately, trying to gauge what was and what wasn't proved rather difficult at times, and after a point, she just stopped asking entirely.

 _Don't think. Obey._

Somewhere along the way, that was what she did. Granted, Mercury's rather stubborn and sometimes flippant refusal to do the same had rubbed off on her more than she liked to admit, but for the most part, Cinder's word was absolute to her in just about every instance she could imagine.

A part of her hated that fact, but such mattered little when the rest of her refused to listen; Cinder deserved _everything_ for taking the time and effort to let a street rat like her get a second chance.

"No."

"Of course she didn't." He chuckled. "Well, I doubt that she'll tell you herself, so I guess that leaves me to pick up the slack."

He sighed.

"To make a long story short, she's not exactly in her right mind at the moment. Everything you've seen of Cinder Fall right now is…well, mostly who she really is, to be perfectly honest, but not all of it."

He shrugged.

"Anyways, that particular problem is getting fixed right now, though I doubt that we'll be done anytime soon."

Emerald tensed up nervously at his words. If Cinder was here, then that would complicate things immensely. She could break out on her own without too much trouble, assuming she could concentrate hard enough to use her semblance on the man in front of her. From there, getting herself out would be simple enough to do, with a little luck. Such wouldn't be so simple when there were two (three, given the possibility that Mercury was probably here too)

Putting aside these plans for her potential escape, she also realized that he had yet to properly answer the question he had posed to her earlier.

"Why does Cinder need the power of the Fall maiden?"

"Revenge, or at least what she _thinks_ is revenge. Like I said, her mind hasn't been her own for a while now, and mental corruption has an odd tendency to warp our intentions without us even noticing."

"Revenge on who?"

He clicked his tongue, like he was uncertain about how to answer her inquiry.

"On my…how should I put this…employer, a man that you do _not_ want to cross, to put it lightly."

Curious. Cinder had never mentioned anyone like that before, at least not to her.

"And who would that be?"

" _Who_ he is doesn't particularly matter here. _What_ he does, and by extension, what our little organization does, on the other hand, is much more important."

She saw an opportunity.

"Then what _do_ you do?"

His eyes narrowed, the dull glow behind his eyes brightening slightly.

"What _don't_ we do?" He sighed tiredly. "To put things as simply as I can make them, we're the people that work behind the scenes to keep this world safe."

"From what, exactly?"

 _Keep him talking. Keep him distracted._

She was slowly undoing the bindings that were holding her arms to the chair, careful to keep his attention away from her as she did so. No need for him to get suspicious.

"From anything and everything that makes itself a threat to humanity. Whether that be Grimm, human, Faunus, or anything in between, we'll be there to put a stop to it."

"Why all the secrecy, then?"

 _Just a little more…_

Her hands were mostly free now. All she needed to do was free her legs and she'd be out.

There was no way she'd be able to do something like that without drawing his suspicion, however, at least not normally. She'd have to use her semblance to keep him distracted this time.

Her headache wasn't making it any easier, however. Tapping into her semblance proved more difficult as a result, and she was trying as hard as she could to keep any signs of her intentions off of her features.

"Ignorance is bliss, simple as that. No need for people to panic and draw in the Grimm, after all, and trust me, some of the things we see just aren't the sort of thing you're going to forget about overnight."

"Like what?"

 _Come on…Come on…_

Her mind was screaming in protest as she tried to create an illusion in his head. Her headache had worsened, pain intensifying as the image slowly formed in her head.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she pushed her semblance to work, forcing it to implant an image in his head, one showing a false Emerald listening intently to whatever it was he was saying. He didn't seem to notice any difference.

Meanwhile, the real Emerald was undoing the last of the restraints tying her to the chair, getting up not a moment later. She didn't have her weapons on hand, but it wasn't like she needed them to knock a man out cold. She snuck behind him as he rattled on, practically oblivious to what she was doing.

Just as she was about to deliver a solid strike to his head, however, he immediately turned around in his chair with deceptive speed. In an instant, he was behind her and had both her arms in a deadlock, entirely unable to move.

Surprise was evident in her features, yet his own showed nothing but an unnatural calm. She could've sworn that there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Now, now, Ms. Sustrai…there's no need for _that_ just yet."

He walked her back over to her side of the table, sitting her down in the chair, though he didn't make any efforts to tie her up. She didn't dare move either way.

He walked back to his side of the table with a casual pace, a very slight grin on his face.

"I'm sure you can realize that there's no point in trying to escape. As such, I'll even let you walk around a bit, if you're so inclined."

She glared at him, defiant.

"How did you do that?"

He chuckled.

"You weren't as subtle as you thought you were. Your aura gave you away as you tried using your semblance." He shrugged. "To be fair, not too many people are as familiar with this sort of thing as I am, so I'm sure you would've fooled someone else."

 _Damn. So much for that idea._

If he could recognize when she was using her semblance based off her aura, then catching him off guard with it would be virtually impossible.

"What were we talking about, again? Before your little sideshow?"

Seeing no other options, she decided to play along, at least for now.

"I have no idea. I thought you'd remember."

"Darn…oh well. I'm sure it wasn't that important, anyways. What _is_ important, on the other hand," He eyed her carefully, "is what I'm going to do with you."

A small bead of sweat made its way down the back of her neck as he said that. Nervous didn't even begin to describe how she was feeling. She didn't exactly plan on her life ending in some hole in the middle of nowhere, and in all honesty, she really preferred that things didn't come to that.

"Normally, I'd just toss you out of here with a thorough mind wipe for good measure." He clicked his tongue. "But in your case, I believe we might have use for someone with your…unique talents."

That eased the knotting feeling in her stomach somewhat. At the very least, she stood a decent chance of walking out of here with her life.

As for him trying to recruit her for some unknown purpose, however, she wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea. In truth, she wanted nothing more than to throw the offer back in his face and spit on it, though she was fairly certain that such would be the last mistake she ever made.

She had already pledged herself to Cinder, and one of the very few things she had left was her integrity. Backing out now and signing on with someone else was a betrayal of that, and she had no intention of doing so. Thieves' honor was a sacred thing, at least to her; it was a pity that very few thieves actually stuck with it when the chips were down. She hated those sort of people.

"Sorry. Not interested."

He looked amused at her response.

"A pity." An odd look crossed his features. "I do wonder, however."

"About what?"

"About what you'll do without one Cinder Fall to guide you."

That set something off inside of her. She replied in a cold, venomous tone.

"What exactly are you implying?"

"Oh, nothing. Just curious, really."

He didn't look threatened in the slightest. If anything, she could've sworn that she saw the slightest trace of pity in his eyes. That only served to enrage her further.

"I don't need her. I can get by just fine on my own!"

"Sure you can."

He didn't look convinced.

She wasn't exactly convinced by her response, either. She was lying just as much to herself as she was to him.

"Why did you let her do this, Emerald? And why do you let it continue?"

His expression grew grave, further emphasized by his use of her first name.

 _Why?_

In all honesty, she didn't know the answer herself. Cinder was probably the first person that had given her anything more than just disproving looks and hateful remarks; no love for a homeless orphan on the streets, after all.

Admittedly, she knew that Cinder had…ulterior motives for doing that, but she didn't really care. All that mattered was that she had given Emerald a better life than she could have ever asked for, and she would always be grateful for that.

Somewhere along the way, however, loyalty became obsession, a ceaseless desire to satisfy the woman that had given her everything. She found herself thinking less and obeying more the longer she went on. After a point, it was painfully obvious that her thoughts were no longer for herself, at least not in any ways that mattered.

She knew it, and a part of her hated that fact.

It was only a small part, however, buried under the rest of her psyche, firm in its belief that the woman that took her off the streets that day deserved everything that she could ever give.

"She gave me everything, and I had nothing to give back! What else was I going to do!?"

Denial, nothing but pure denial. The words tasted bitter in her mouth as they escaped her lips. The man simply listened to her words, his reply calm, yet almost sympathetic at the same time.

"I'm sure she did, and there is nothing wrong in seeking to repay her, but this isn't how to do it."

She let out a bitter laugh.

"What else am I going to do? This is all I have, and all I'll ever be able to give."

He shook his head.

"If that's what you think, then you need to take a step back and see what else there is for you. Everyone has a purpose in life, you just need to find yours."

She hated that thought. No, hate wasn't the right word for it.

She was downright _terrified_ of that thought.

Ever since that fateful day, her purpose had been to serve Cinder, akin to a loyal dog that never left its owner's side. What else did she have to live for? What would she do if Cinder was no longer there?

The one thing that frightened her the most was that she couldn't come up with an answer.

"What purpose?"

She let the words out in a bitter, defeated tone. She had spent all of her life trying to find an answer, yet she never did.

At some point, she just gave up.

 _Don't think. Obey._

Somehow, those words never left her mind. They gave her purpose, not her own, but purpose nonetheless. She clung to that tightly; something was better than nothing.

His expression lightened somewhat when she gave her reply. His tone had a mix of pity and sympathy, yet tempered by the subtle feeling that he was trying to guide her at the same time.

"That, Emerald, is for you to find out. All I can do is wish you luck in finding it."

He gestured towards the door.

"You're free to go, if you wish. I won't stop you, not this time. Just remember, my offer to you still stands, if you ever feel like taking it."

She made to get up, but she stopped herself before she was even standing: she had something to ask him.

"Why?"

He raised an eyebrow curiously at her.

"Hm?"

She clarified her question for him.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what, exactly?"

She sighed irritably.

"Why did you ask those damned questions when you know I don't have an answer!?"

He replied calmly.

"Because I think we can help you find one."

She couldn't even bring herself to be shocked at that. She merely started making her way towards the door in a daze, her thoughts whirling in her head and her headache starting to worsen into a full-blown migraine.

"Wait."

She stopped at his request, turning her head back to look at him.

"What is it?"

He got up from his chair, walking over to her with a steady pace and stopping when she turned herself around to face him.

"I wasn't lying when I said that we could use someone like you here."

She scoffed at him bringing that up again.

"And I wasn't lying when I said that I'm not interested."

His expression hardened at that.

"Emerald, you're already deep into something that goes far beyond just Cinder and her little conspiracy. Do you really think that you can just walk away?"

She just stared back at him blankly, her expression unreadable.

"I'll tell you right now that the answer is no. While we won't do anything to hunt you down once you walk out of here, I can't say the same for everyone else, and I doubt that you'll last very long against them."

She never expected to be able to just walk away for everything she did. That was something she had an answer for, however poor it may have been.

"I'll make it, one way or another. Just like I always do."

He looked at her with disbelief in his expression.

"Confidence is a good thing, but not when it becomes arrogance." His tone softened. "I'm asking you to trust me when I say that we can help you just as much as you can help us."

"Why would I need it?"

He laughed at her words.

"You can't honestly believe that, can you?"

A part of her wanted to say that she really didn't. She couldn't bring herself to say it, however. Her response came out as a weak whisper.

"I do."

Neither of them were convinced in the slightest.

"You don't. Not for one second."

She looked at him angrily.

"Don't tell me what to think."

It wasn't like she could even do that, anyways.

"I'll find my way through my life on my own. I don't need any help! Not from you, not from Cinder, not from _anyone_!"

How many lies was she telling herself as she said that? She couldn't be bothered to count. The man only shook his head disapprovingly.

"Truly, you are someone that needs help."

Perhaps she did, no, she _knew_ she did, but she was too stubborn to accept it. The man continued speaking, his tone sounding almost sad.

"Walk out that door, if you want. If you really think you can find something out there, then I won't stop you."

He turned around, walking to the table and picking up his book, heading right back to her not a moment later.

"But I want you to know that there will always be a place here for people like you. Just like your partner."

' _Mercury…'_

She tensed up at the mention of a certain grey haired idiot. That cocky grin he would always give her infuriated her to no end under normal circumstances, yet she found herself fighting off a slight smile of her own when she thought about it now.

She pushed that image as far away as she could; no need for that now. Her expression was unreadable as she gave a cold reply.

"What about him?"

His expression hardened, his eyes darkening as a result.

"Mr. Black has already made his loyalties clear, you know. They are only to himself, and towards that end, he has chosen to join us."

She could feel something akin to rage bubbling up inside her.

Mercury had betrayed them? Betrayed everything that they had fought for?

 _Betrayed her?_

She almost couldn't believe it. Almost.

She replied in a dangerously low voice, venom laced into every word.

"Where is he?"

"Locked away here, just like you. Well, 'locked up' might be a strong term, but don't think you can try to find him, because you won't."

She didn't particularly care for his words, but from the way his body was tensed up, she wasn't going to be able to make an attempt without getting past him, and that had already proved to be a very bad idea. Instead, she'd have to take a different approach.

"Why? Why did he choose you over us?"

He gave his answer in a calm tone.

"There's a storm brewing on the horizon, and he chose to take the umbrella we offered him, so to speak."

She scoffed at this, almost disgusted at her partner's seeming betrayal.

"So he's looking out for his own skin, then?"

He responded with a shrug.

"Perhaps. Maybe you can ask him yourself, though not right now."

She wasn't going to take that for an answer.

"Why not!?"

"Emerald."

His eyes flashed a bright purple, and she could feel herself losing control of her body again. Her body stiffened, unmoving despite her best efforts to force it otherwise.

"Sorry, but I can't exactly let you run wild if you're going to try anything with him."

He walked over a pulled a tiny needle out of her back and put in back in his coat. She didn't recall it ever going in.

"You really shouldn't let people do that, you know. Now you've got a tiny piece of my aura in you, and you won't be going anywhere as long as I don't want you to. Again, I'm sorry that we couldn't do more for you."

It seemed that he wasn't going to let her go anymore. She wasn't too keen on being locked up here, however, helpless as her body refused to move. She called out before he could leave the room, just as he put a foot through the doorway.

"Wait!"

He did, turning around to face her.

"Yes?"

She would have lowered her head in defeat if she could. Her tone more than made up for that, though.

"Fine…you win. Whatever Mercury was thinking when he joined up with you," She had to actively resist the urge to hate him for that, "I won't go after him for it."

He walked over to her, his eyes boring directly into her own.

"Hm…you're not lying either."

He snapped his fingers, an invisible force lifting off of her body.

"I'll be giving you the benefit of the doubt here, Emerald. Wait here quietly until I come back, and I'll see to letting you have a proper talk with your partner. Is that fair?"

She nodded slowly, control over her body returning slowly, but surely. He smiled slightly as she did so, making his way back towards the door.

"Just remember what I told you, alright? Whatever happens, our door is always open."

With that, he left the room, shutting the door behind him and leaving her alone with her thoughts.

She was feeling a mix of anger, confusion, and outright disbelief at the moment. Mercury consumed her thoughts. She refused to forgive him, but at least she'd hear him out.

He deserved that much, at least.

They had been partners for some time now, give or take a few years. Didn't that mean anything to him?

Perhaps it didn't, and that thought terrified her.

Everything was out of her control, just like it had always been.

Her thoughts drifted, going back to when she had been cornered in that alley by Cinder. She wasn't in control then, either, and she hadn't been ever since; Cinder had seen to that, whether she knew it or not.

 _Don't think. Obey._

No more. She was done with that. If this pain was all she'd get out of "obeying", then she would have no more of it. An invisible weight lifted off her shoulders as she thought that. She chuckled bitterly.

 _Thought_.

Maybe she had already stopped obeying a long time ago. Maybe she had been thinking the entire time, she just hadn't realized it.

 _Was this what freedom felt like?_

It felt good.

It was a shame that she had to go through all this to finally know that. She could almost picture Mercury just laughing at her, that damned smirk that she always hated plastered on his face.

She wasn't going to dwell on that, however. For once in what felt like forever, she was feeling…alive. Like she finally had found herself, found something that she could live for. What it was, she didn't know, and she didn't care.

She was free, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

James Raau

' _Well, aren't they just fascinating…'_

Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai, two pieces of a rather…interesting puzzle, to say the least.

James Raau was an oddly perceptive man at even the worst of times, yet it didn't take someone like him to see that those two were in desperate need of a purpose in life.

He sighed tiredly as he made his way through the cell block to where they were keeping one Adam Taurus, though his mind was focused elsewhere.

Those two…truly, they were in need of help, and neither of them ever bothered to ask for it.

One gave up, letting his life be dominated by tiny pleasures that ultimately amounted to nothing.

The other refused to believe that it was a problem, obsession tying her down and never letting go.

At least he had done what he could, hopefully it'd be enough for a start. If nothing else, he managed to get one of them to join up, and the other wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. It seemed that they'd have some…issues that they'd need to sort out between the two of them anyways.

He shook his head, wanting nothing more than to just laugh at the idiocy of all of it.

What was with the younger generation these days? Was it really _too_ much to ask just to have a completely normal (relatively speaking, anyways), well-adjusted person on the other side of that table for once?

Why did he always get the "special" ones?

' _Robert and David never seem to get them…'_

That was a lie, of course; both of them had much more pressing issues on their respective plates, at the moment. Robert had one Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan while David had one Cinder Fall. The rest of them, well, they just weren't quite as…important in the grand scheme of things.

It didn't make them any less difficult to work with, of course.

Gods, this wasn't what he had signed up for. Actually, now that he thought about it, this sort of thing was inevitable, given his uncanny knowledge of aura and all its intricacies, including how to read it like a book of sorts, one that provided a fairly comprehensive look into the person's soul. Such an ability proved quite useful in an organization like the King's.

Both their auras were simple things to read, no questioning that, though reading and understanding were two very different things. The former was just a matter of looking. The latter was a matter both of looking and _knowing_.

Doing something like _that_ was much more difficult, and it was more often than not a matter of experience more than anything else.

Admittedly, people like them were an unfortunately common occurrence in the world of Remnant, though the exact details tended to vary wildly between individuals. All of them, however, had one very simple problem that underlined everything else; they had nothing to live for.

Drifters, he liked to call them; letting the flow take them wherever it wished, all the way until it took them over the edge of the waterfall that most people liked to call death.

His fist clenched tightly at the thought of it.

He was never one to let that continue. Not before, and certainly not now.

He'd already seen that there was some hope for the two of them. He'd just have to wait and see if they could deliver on said hopes. Something like this was their problem to solve; purpose was something that was found, not given.

All he could do was set them on the path and occasionally point them in the right direction when they went astray, nothing more.

He could only hope that the last two people he had lined up, one Adam Taurus and James Ironwood, were better than these two. Given his track record, however, the prospects weren't exactly looking very good.

James sighed tiredly, resigned to having yet more problems to deal with.

' _Oh well…'_

* * *

Raven Branwen

As she stepped out of the portal, Raven could see that Salem and the Faunus man were already being watched suspiciously by a gathered pack of Grimm. The moment they noticed her with them, however, they merely gave the group one final cold glare before carrying on with their business.

Raven inclined her head, gesturing for them to follow her as she moved on ahead to where her masters resided. Both fell into step with her, Salem's expression unnervingly calm while the man merely kept a wary eye about for any stray Grimm. They followed her to a cave at the base of a mountain, guarded by a pack of Beowolves that eyed them suspiciously, but took no further actions as they walked past.

As the three of them made their way into the tunnels, ones that had been carefully carved out in ages past by the Grimm under the direction of the primals, the man spoke up.

"Tell me, Raven," he started, "just what _is_ this place?"

Raven answered simply.

"This is where my masters reside. If you want more than that, then you should ask them yourself."

In truth, she didn't spend much of her time here in these tunnels, usually only going here whenever her masters needed her direct presence. Otherwise, their main contact with her was through possessed Grimm.

Admittedly, she could've created the portal directly inside her masters' chamber, saving them the trip, but she elected to err on the side of caution so she could gauge if their intentions posed any threat to either her or the primals she served.

Finding little reason to suspect them of any foul play, she led them directly into a truly massive cavern, the majority of it being covered in thick shadows, faint rays of light coming from the handful of cracks in the ceiling.

In the shadows, three sets of eyes took notice of their approach, each belonging to one of her masters.

The first, the one to the left, was merely a pair of narrowed red eyes, seemingly burning with barely contained rage.

The second, the one to the right, was made of four pairs, eight red eyes staring at them in unison with a look that fell somewhere between mild amusement and morbid curiosity.

The last, the one in the center, was another pair of red eyes, yet they looked far calmer than the first, eying them carefully and with great interest.

The pair of eyes in the center glowed brighter than the others, and they all heard a voice, one that commanded fear and respect in equal measure, echo throughout the cave.

" _ **Well done, Raven. You have brought her to us, as promised. Leave us, and know that you have saved yourself from our punishment."**_

The eight eyes to the right of them brightened next, the ones in the center losing their glow.

" _ **Take the other one with you as well, Raven. This matter is only between the four of us."**_

The Faunus man looked at Salem expectantly, awaiting her approval, which she gave with a nearly imperceptible nod. Satisfied with her answer, he turned around and made his way back out of the cavern and into the tunnel behind them, Raven following him closely to ensure he didn't slip away.

Taking one last look backwards to see all three sets of eyes watching Salem as she was no doubt introducing herself to them, Raven returned her attention to the man who was walking towards the outside with a rather quick pace.

Before long, both of them were back outside, the night sky dotted with stars, all of which were dwarfed by the shattered moon orbiting the world of Remnant.

He turned around to face her, a curious look in his eyes.

"Now then, I believe we have much to talk about, don't we, Raven?"

Given the lack of any other orders at the moment, she supposed that she could indulge her curiosity, though not here, a place where her masters could hear them; they had eyes and ears everywhere in the form of their Grimm, as well as their mark she carried on her.

She swung her sword, creating a portal that she gestured for him to go through, the Faunus nodding and walking through without a word. She followed suit, and they both found themselves just outside a relatively small, one-story cottage.

They went inside, finding it to be modestly furnished, a handful of chairs surrounding a simple wooden table near the window out front and a rather comfortable looking bed placed a short distance away from a fireplace, which had gone out from prolonged disuse, being the most notable features the home had to offer.

A handful of other small pieces of furniture were strewn about, none all that remarkable, aside from the nightstand next to the bed that had a picture frame standing atop its surface.

Her home away from home, one that she had built for herself for those rare times when she could get some rest. Much of the furniture she had borrowed from the various destroyed villages throughout Vale; handled as carefully as possible out of respect for their previous owners.

She had a degree of privacy here, though it was more out of her masters' respect for the sanctity of the home than any actual inabilities on their part.

"So…I assume this is where you live, Raven?"

"For the most part, yes, though more often than not, I end up resting wherever I can find any shelter, usually an empty cave."

She took her mask off as she said that, placing it on her bed before turning her attention back to the guest in her home, who had taken a seat in one of the chairs next to the table. He turned to look at her with a look of surprise in his face, though it only lasted a few seconds before he chuckled with a smile playing across his lips.

"You know, I always told Stark that you'd turn out better than your mother. It seems that I was right."

Raven wasn't quite sure what to make of that statement, as she was still wondering what this man's connection to her father was. She took a seat opposite of him on the table, a question coming out as she did so.

"Who are you?"

The look in his eyes spoke of confusion for a moment before he recalled where they had left off earlier in the cave.

"Right…introductions, then." He put a hand to his chest. "My name is Dragan Zanareth, and as for how I knew your father, well, Stark and I go a very long time back, all the way to when we were just two young lads."

Dragan Zanareth…she didn't ever recall her father speaking of a name like that, though memories of her childhood were rather blurred, to say the least.

"My father never spoke of you."

His expression dropped somewhat, a tired look in his eyes.

"Is that so?" He sighed. "I suppose I can't blame him. The end of our friendship created nothing but painful memories, and I'm certain that he wanted to distance himself from that."

If it wasn't already before, Raven's interest had certainly been piqued now by his words.

"What happened?"

An odd look crossed his features, one that she couldn't quite place. The closest word she could use to describe it was _bitter_.

"Tell me, Raven. What do you know of the legends of the Faunus, of my people?"

She wasn't expecting to hear that, in all honesty. She certainly knew _of_ the legends (as well as the Human and Faunus superstitions surrounding them), though what exactly was _in_ them escaped her. Names were essentially the extent of her knowledge about them.

"I've heard of some of them; such as _The Bull's Resolve_ , _The Lamb's Wrath_ , or the-"

He interjected quickly, cutting her off in a hurry.

"How about _The Dragon's Rise_?"

She shook her head, completely unfamiliar with the title, though looking at some of Dragan's animal features, she had a feeling that she knew where he was going.

"No, I've never heard of that one."

He shook his head, his eyes closed, making him look rather tired.

"I didn't think so. It wasn't exactly common knowledge even in my time, and I highly doubt that it would be any better off now."

Her curiosity got the better of her.

"How does it go?"

She could've sworn that his eyes lit up for a second, a glimmer of excitement shining in them for just the briefest of moments before he blinked it away.

"I won't bore you with the full version, but to put it simply, it goes something like this."

He took a deep breath in, closing his eyes as he prepared to regale the legend to her.

"Once, there was a mighty dragon that flew free across the world of Remnant. Its body, covered in brilliant gold scales, shone brighter than the sun, outmatched only by its fiery breath, a crimson torrent of shining flame. It traveled the world, a kind spirit that lent its aid to those in need of its help, asking for nothing but their gratitude in return."

He made various hand gestures with his hands at certain points, emphasizing his words appropriately.

"It was loved and respected by all it came across, especially those that it had aided. It was a wanderer, spreading hope and peace to any that were willing to listen. Yet all was not well."

His expression darkened as the legend did.

"The kings, the rulers of the lands that the great dragon wandered throughout, were not pleased with its actions. It traveled through _their_ domains, _their_ kingdoms, yet it did not listen to their divine will. Instead, it drew their subjects away from them, taken in by its benevolence. The kings would not let that stand unanswered, and they demanded that the dragon be imprisoned for defying them. The people cried out in remorse when the great dragon merely bowed its head and submitted without a fight."

He sounded almost sad himself as he continued.

"The kings, treacherous and consumed by jealousy, demanded more than just its imprisonment. They demanded its head, and so, the dragon was put to death. The people gathered in droves at its execution, all shouting and screaming for them to stop, yet the dragon did nothing. As it stood before the crowds, death merely a few moments away, it gave its final words…words that would echo in the minds of all who heard it, forever."

He slammed a fist on the table, retelling the dragon's final words in a choked up manner.

" _Weep not, my children: this is a new beginning for all of you! My time has come to an end, but yours has yet to even begin! Yet do not fear; I will always be watching each and every one of you from the next life, and I know that you will all make me proud! And when the time has come, when all has been made right, I will return from the heavens, prouder than I have ever been in my life! Until then, farewell!"_

Raven could've sworn that she heard a sniffle escape from the man in front of her as he said that.

"And so, the dragon was no more. Its body, lifeless and bereft of its radiance, turned a deep crimson and midnight black, a shadow of what it once was. It was given its due burial, deep beneath a mountain that has long since been lost to time. The kings, who had also been present at the dragon's execution, grew paranoid, fearful of the people's retribution, as well as the dragon's promise. Out of their fear, they turned their brutality on their own subjects, oppressing them in the hopes of securing their own safety, as well as ensuring that the dragon would never return."

He was reaching the end of his tale, and not a moment too soon; he sounded utterly exhausted by this point.

"Even to this day, the dragon has yet to return. The kings, ever consumed by paranoia, maintain their brutal oppression, and the people suffer relentlessly under their tyranny. Yet all is not lost; the will of the dragon lives on in each and every one of its descendants, and no matter how much the kings seek to delay it, the dragon that they fear so much will return one day to save its people."

He closed the tale with a single tear rolling down his eyes.

"And all will be made right in the world of Remnant."

He wiped away the tear with the back of his hand, a tired sigh escaping his lips not a moment after.

"I'm sorry, Raven, but that one really hits close to home for me."

She had an idea of what he meant, but she wanted to confirm it first.

"How so?"

"How many Faunus types out there are you aware of? I can tell you that out of the hundreds upon hundreds of them, I didn't fit into a single one of them."

He laughed bitterly.

"They ended up creating the Dragon Faunus type specifically for me. At first, I was just happy that I was special. Then I discovered this little tale, and, at first, I just laughed it off as a happy coincidence."

He laughed again, no mirth behind it.

"I grew up, went to become a huntsman along with your father, and our team became one of the best that Beacon Academy has ever trained. Things weren't all sunshine and rainbows, however."

His expression darkened.

"I'm sure you don't need to be a genius to know that Faunus discrimination was far more rampant back then than it is today. I was lucky enough to be able to avoid it, but I wasn't blind to everything that was happening to my people."

She had a feeling that he was getting to a certain point in history that had left nothing but a legacy of bitter hatred between two species, though she said nothing.

"You're familiar with Menagerie, right?"

Raven nodded, her suspicions confirmed.

"Then you should know that that was the final straw for me. The moment I learned of it, I made a choice. I was done sitting on the sidelines while my people were on the line."

His expression became unreadable as he continued.

"That same day, I ended up hearing that little story again. Somehow, instead of laughing it off as I did as a child, I started to _believe_."

He smiled bitterly.

"It made so much sense to me back then; I was the dragon reborn, the kingdoms were the kings, and the people were the Faunus! I was the one who was supposed to make things right!"

Almost instinctually, Raven repeated the ending to the tale of _The_ _Dragon's Rise_.

"And all will be made right in the world of Remnant."

He nodded, like he was going to say it himself.

"I truly thought that I was supposed to be the one to do it. I was an idiot to think that, but what's done is done."

He sighed.

"It wasn't very long before I ended up leading my people against the kingdoms, starting our little revolution in the quaint little prison they called Menagerie."

He smiled sadly at her.

"Your father had always been a good friend, but he wasn't willing to follow me into that. He told me that I was taking things too far, that fighting like this was only hurting both humans and Faunus. I told him that it was the only way that we'd ever be able to truly make things right."

He chuckled, though he didn't seem very amused, only tired.

"That was when we officially ended our friendship, and I can tell you that it was _not_ a very pretty sight."

Raven had yet to get over her surprise, asking him something in a daze, almost.

"What happened next?"

He turned his gaze out the window, a wistful look in his eyes.

"That happened at the start of the war. We fought on for almost 3 years, and it honestly looked like we were really making progress."

He clenched his fist.

"Then I was killed."

Raven certainly wasn't expecting to hear that, especially from a man who just admitted that he was supposed to be dead.

"How are you still here, then?"

He waved her question off absentmindedly.

"You can thank Salem for that. She brought me back for whatever plans she has in mind."

Such sent a cold chill down her spine; it seemed that there was more to Salem than Raven had initially thought. Pushing that thought to the side, she asked him something else.

"Who killed you?"

He smiled at her, though she couldn't tell if he looked sad, angry, or somewhere in between.

"Your father was the one to do it."

Somehow, that shocked her even more than his previous answer. She almost immediately tensed up as her gaze turned to her sword. Before she could do anything, however, he held up a hand.

"Now, now…there's no need for that. I didn't and still don't hold it against him; both of us were just doing what we thought was right, what we thought we had to do, and I ended up losing. Simple as that."

Raven's grip on her sword loosened somewhat, though she still kept her hand on it just in case. She kept her expression as neutral as possible as he continued on, more force behind his words than before.

"No…the only one who deserves any punishment in all of this are the Councils! They're the ones where this all came from, and it'll never stop until they are dead and buried! _Forever_!"

He punctuated that by slamming a fist to the table. She found herself listening to his outburst quite intently, as it mirrored much of what she also thought about the four councils.

Dragan sighed tiredly, slumping back in his chair.

"I don't know why Salem brought me back, but I don't really care what she has in store for me. She uses me, I use her, and we're both even, as far as I'm concerned. All I know is that now, I've been given a second chance to set things right for my people, and I'll be _damned_ before I let it slip by me…no matter what the cost is. And I don't need some fairy tale to tell me that!"

He leaned forwards, a determined look in his eyes.

"Raven, mark my words: I _will_ end this injustice against my people, I _will_ destroy the councils that seek to oppress us, and I will _not_ stop at _anything_ to see that happen!"

When Raven looked into his eyes, she saw the same indomitable will that she always saw in Summer. Her team leader had been many things in her life, but her near limitless determination was truly without question. When she looked at Dragan and saw that same quality, she couldn't help but smile.

"Then I wish you good luck in that endeavor, Dragan."

The Faunus man gave a smile of his own.

"Thank you, but that's enough about me, what about you, Raven?"

She was caught off guard by his question, responding with uncertainty in her tone.

"What about me? There isn't much to-"

His laughter cut her off abruptly.

"Nonsense! Of course there's much to discuss here!"

His expression turned grave.

"Such as who those…things in the cave earlier were, as well as what you have to do with them."

Her own expression hardened in response.

"Those 'things', as you refer to them, are a power beyond all reckoning, power that I need to have for myself."

"For what?"

She almost shouted her response, caught up in the moment.

"So I can make a better world for all of us! One where we, humans and Faunus, don't have to fight each other, or even the Grimm! One where mothers and fathers can raise their children in peace, _true_ peace, not this…this _illusion_ that the councils are trying to pass off as peace when all they do is send more innocent people to their graves every single day!"

A look of surprise crossed his features before he began to smile, followed by a sudden burst of hearty laughter. He went on for a short moment before controlling himself, a grin still plastered on his face as he continued.

"Truly, you are Stark's daughter! He would always tell me of how he wanted a world like that, you know." He shook his head. "Though I don't think he'd approve of the methods you're using…"

He shrugged.

"Not that I care. Both of us, we have our visions, and we have the ways we want to achieve them. Just as you wished me luck in helping my people, I wish you luck in making your world a reality. Godspeed to you, Raven!"

She smiled warmly in response, hoping that both of them would be able to achieve what they wanted.

"Thank you, Dragan."

He merely waved it off, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"There is no need for thanks, Raven."

He stood up from the chair, making his way towards the door.

"I believe some fresh air will do nicely. You don't mind if I go have a look around outside, do you?"

She only laughed lightly in response.

"Just don't get lost. I'd hate to have to come find you out in the woods."

He grinned slightly, giving her a not entirely honest response.

"Don't worry; I won't wander _too_ far off the beaten path…"

His words trailed off as he stepped outside, wandering off into the forest as she watched him from the window. She kept her gaze on him for a few more moments before she got up and laid down in her bed, putting her mask to the side as she rolled into the covers, too tired to change into more comfortable attire.

She hadn't had a chance to sleep in a warm bed for quite some time, and she wasn't going to let this rare opportunity pass her by.

Just before she drifted off to sleep, her gaze turned to the picture frame that she kept on her nightstand. It showed a family picture of herself, Taiyang, and Yang.

 _Her beautiful baby girl._

She was only a tiny little infant, barely a few minutes old when they took that photo, right in the hospital where Raven had given birth to her little miracle.

That was almost 17 years ago, and Yang had grown immensely in that time; Raven couldn't have been any prouder of how her daughter had turned out.

 _Even without her mother there to support her every step of the way._

She shoved that thought away as far as she could; she couldn't think about that. It only served to bring back the painful memories of when she had first left them all those years ago, and she could already feel her eyes tearing up just thinking about it. She blinked them away hurriedly.

 _This is all for her…for all of them…_

She had to repeat that mantra several times before she could feel a degree of calm return to her.

She was going to make her better world a reality. It wasn't a matter of if; it was a matter of when.

Yang deserved it. They all did.

That final thought done and her resolve reaffirmed once more, she closed her eyes, sleep taking her not a moment later.

* * *

AN: Would you look at that? New characters, backstories, and even a bit of mythology!

Starting with new characters, we've got Dr. David Ryder, Dr. James Raau (note: his last name is an anagram of aura) and Dragan Zanareth (also an anagram, but I'm not giving the answer to that one). Tentatively speaking, there should only be two more characters I need to introduce, and that'll be it as far as new characters are concerned for the remainder of Fall, Rise, Fall.

Dragan's backstory was an interesting thing for me to write, as a part of it tied in with the legend of the Dragon (also a rather interesting challenge to write, honestly). The trick for me was to remember that, even without knowing the legend, Dragan is ultimately still out to save his people, and he doesn't particularly care what the cost of that is.

Moving on, myths and fairy tales are pretty much interchangeable, right? The way RWBY handled the fairy tale of the Four Maidens got me thinking about the other tales that the world of Remnant has to offer. One thing to note is that, while _The Dragon's Rise_ has some embellishment in it, like just about any story, there is actually a nugget of truth hidden in its tale, so you might want to commit it to memory, because something might happen in the future that was foreshadowed by this.

Also, sorry about how late this chapter is. I've tried sticking with a weekly update schedule, but it's become rather painfully obvious to me that doing so just isn't in the cards, especially with the increasing length of these chapters. As such, I'll be switching to a bi-weekly schedule to ensure that I have the right amount of time for each update.

Thank you very much for reading, hopefully you guys enjoyed it. If you are so inclined, please don't hesitate to leave a review stating what you thought or to send any questions you have my way. Thanks again, and stay safe.


	15. Chapter 15: Schemes and Plans

AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall!

Previously, Dr. Raau had his talk with both Emerald and Mercury. This chapter, he'll be doing the same with Adam and general Ironwood. In addition, we'll get a look at Salem's dealings with the primal Grimm. How that turns out, well, read on, and find out for yourself.

So, without further ado, I present chapter 15 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

Adam Taurus

Adam woke up groggily, a dull sensation throbbing throughout his head as he took in his surroundings.

He was in…some kind of run-down home, from the looks of it. In truth, "run-down" didn't even begin to describe how destitute this place looked.

All of the lights were off, some of them broken with the glass shards fallen down and scattered on the ground beneath. A dim light came in from the windows, most of which had been boarded up in a haphazard fashion. The walls were practically crumbling, large cracks spider webbing their way across the surface here and there. There was a faint smell in the air, a mix of smoke, blood, and…something else he couldn't quite recognize.

Strewn about were upturned chairs, couches, and assorted furniture, some of which were clearly past their prime, ripped up from overuse. An old television had been shattered and thrown to the ground, a dull _hiss_ coming from the still smoking electronics behind the screen.

The cracked, wooden floor was stained all sorts of dark colors, the most notable being a rather long streak of red trailing its way out of the room he was in.

It all looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen all of this before.

Instinctively, he reached for Wilt as he would do in any unfamiliar situation like this one, only to find that both his sword and its sheathe were gone from his side. He searched the room, searching for something that could pass as a weapon, yet his eyes quickly fell upon his sword, which, for some reason, had been stabbed into the ground, right where the trail of red started.

He put his hand on the hilt, pulling the sword out with little difficulty and keeping it close by his side as he followed the trail out of the room, compelled by some uncontrollable urging at the back of his mind.

He wasn't even a foot into the next room before he heard a spine-chilling scream from somewhere in the dilapidated household. The sound played back in his mind, over and over, and he could've sworn that he had heard it somewhere before.

Regardless, he took off in a hurried sprint towards the source, vaguely noticing that the red trail seemed to be marking the way exactly towards where the sound was coming from.

Bolting his way past a handful of barren, empty rooms, he came upon a rather…out of place looking man standing in front of the entryway that presumably led outside. His back was turned, his gaze turned towards the front of the house.

He was dressed in a mostly unremarkable black suit, not unlike that of a stereotypical hired assassin, in all honesty. His hair wasn't all that noticeable, either, dark brown in color and trimmed quite short. A slight smoke trail was coming from the other side of his head, probably from a lit cigar in his mouth.

Along with the strange man, there were two dead bodies, a man and a woman lined up side by side right in front of him. Both had a single hole where their hearts would've been.

He didn't recognize any of them, yet an uncomfortable feeling was gnawing at the back of his mind, almost like he should've.

He pointed his sword at the unknown man, eyeing him warily as he spoke out.

"Who are you?"

The man turned around slowly, his expression completely calm as he took the blood red cigar out of his mouth and responded.

"Who am I? How should I know?" He laughed. "This is your mind, after all. You're supposed to have the answers here."

Adam blinked in confusion for a split second, the man simply laughing again as he put his cigar back in, continuing to talk as he did so.

"Well, I suppose I could give you a hint, seeing as you can't remember anything."

He pointed both of his hands at the two corpses behind him, a dark smile on his face.

"Say hello to your parents, if you would be so kind." He chuckled. "I don't think they'll be saying hello to you, after all."

Adam only growled angrily. Whoever this man was, he had the gall to suggest that those…people in the back were his deceased parents, as if he actually bought such a blatant falsehood. Adam knew a lie when he heard one, and he was quick to point out the man's folly.

"I don't like being lied to." He pointed his sword closer, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Tell me the truth, and I might consider letting you live."

The man only smirked in response, a bored expression on the rest of his face.

"Oh, was I wrong?" He shrugged absentmindedly. "Sorry, I tend to forget who I end up killing."

He smiled.

"I just love being an orphan-maker. Don't you?"

Adam scowled in response, not even bothering with dignifying that with an answer as he rushed forwards with a blinding speed, his sword in hand and poised to strike.

The man made no effort to dodge the slash Adam was about to deliver, arms held open like he was waiting for it to happen.

The blade found its mark, cutting clean across his body, a stream of blood pouring from the wound. The man didn't seem to care, however, merely laughing in response.

"Already trying to kill me, huh? I like your style. Straight to the point." He spit his cigar out. "Doesn't matter, though. I'm already dead, or at least, that's how it plays out in your little fantasy."

Adam slashed at the man again, scoring another clean strike on him as he rattled on without a care.

"I killed them, you know. Killed them, and made you watch." His smile grew wide. "And the only word I have to describe it was _fun_!"

Adam had heard more than enough of this man's prattling. He ran him through with his blade, slamming the man into the wall with enough force that dust fell from the ceiling.

"Enough lies!"

The smile on the man's face only grew wider.

"Me? All I am is just one big lie! A little fiction that _you_ made up in your head because you couldn't handle the reality!" The smile disappeared, replaced by a scowl. " _You're_ the one who's lying to yourself here! Open your eyes, you idiot!"

Adam drove his blade in even further, rage building up inside him.

"Shut up!"

A trickle of blood escaped from the man's mouth, though it didn't seem to bother him at all.

"Fine. Keep on deluding yourself, for all I care. Hell, it might even be better this way." He put a hand on the blade impaling him, driving it even further into himself. "The truth hurts, and you just _hate_ getting hurt, don't you?"

Before Adam could respond, the man crumbled to dust right before his eyes, a downright _insane_ grin on his face before it withered away.

Pulling his sword out and wiping the blood off of it with a single swing, Adam turned his attention to the two corpses at the entrance. Then he noticed that there was someone kneeling over one of them.

Whoever it was, they seemed rather young, probably a child, at most. There was a faint sound of crying coming from the strange child as they buried themselves into the dead woman's body.

That child, just like everything else in this accursed nightmare, seemed strangely familiar, yet was simultaneously completely unknown to him.

Adam was getting rather tired of the unusual sense of déjà vu he kept getting from this place.

Then he heard a weak voice, words coming out between choked sobs.

"Mommy…daddy…please don't go…"

Adam looked over the child with a hint of pity in his eyes. Certainly, he had a feeling that none of this was real, that this was all just a strange fever dream or something that his mind had produced for some unknown reason, but he was never one to smile at the loss of one's parents, not when he had felt that pain himself.

A painful headache worked its way across his head, and he felt his body stiffening as he lost control over it. His eyes shut involuntarily, suddenly feeling very heavy as they closed against his will.

A faint sound was ringing in his ears, sounding like the rapid turning of pages right next to his ear. The sound rapidly dominated his hearing as it grew more intense, and even with his eyes shut as tightly as they were, he could still see a bright flash of light past his eyelids.

Then, all of a sudden, the sound of turning pages stopped, and he felt control of his body returning to him, opening his eyes to find himself in a completely different place.

He was in a dimly lit room now, surrounded by dull grey walls and devoid of anything of real notice, save for an empty table in front of him, a strange hooded man reading some kind of book on the other side of the table.

Adam himself was tied down to a chair, every limb tightly restrained by several sturdy chains. He struggled fruitlessly against the bindings, and the hooded man seemed to take notice of this, shutting his book and putting it into his coat as he eyed the Faunus curiously, speaking in a calm, measured tone.

"Apologies, Mr. Taurus, but I had to restrain you once you proved rather…combative, to say the least."

Adam met the strange man's gaze with suspicion in his eyes.

"Who are you? Why am I here?"

The man answered simply.

"Dr. James Raau, at your service, though I don't care much for the title. As for why you're here, well…it's a rather long story."

Adam's eyes narrowed as he responded harshly, still struggling relentlessly against the chains holding him down.

"Don't waste my time. Answer the question."

The man chuckled to himself, an amused grin on his face.

"Looks like I _did_ have a good reason to put those chains on. Don't worry, though. I'm sure they'll come off once you prove to be more…cooperative, at least for now."

Adam didn't exactly intend to take Raau's suggestion to heart; he _hated_ being chained up like he was some sort of rabid animal.

Was he a Faunus? Yes, and proud of it, at that.

Was he a terrorist? Perhaps. He preferred the term "freedom fighter", however.

Was he a killer? Absolutely; the humans had brought their deaths upon themselves.

But was he a _Dust-damned_ animal? No, and he would _never_ let anyone say that he was.

He was just as much a living being as anyone else. All his people were, and he would stop at nothing to make the world see that fact in absolutely _no_ uncertain terms.

No human was going to stop him from doing that.

"Why would I have any reason to trust you, human?"

The hooded man laughed heartily at that, hard enough that Adam could've sworn that his eyes had water in them, if only for a second.

"Ha! Human…that was a good one. Really, I think I needed that."

He let the last of his laughs out before continuing in a moderately bemused tone.

"Mr. Taurus, in my line of work, I end up seeing, and more often than not doing, many, _many_ things that most people would consider to be… completely and utterly unnatural. Going through that over and over again does very…interesting things to a man, you know."

He smiled, no hint of bitterness in it, despite what the meaning of his words should've indicated.

"At this point, calling me, or anyone I work with for that matter, 'human' would be the same thing as calling one of your people an 'animal', and I'm certain that you wouldn't appreciate that."

Adam merely growled at his words.

"I don't have time for this. Get to the point."

The man chuckled, amused.

"Straight to business, then… alright."

His expression hardened, a far cry from the lighthearted grin he had held on his face just earlier.

"Let's start over. I presume you're at least somewhat familiar with Cinder Fall's plans, correct?"

Adam nodded carefully, maintain a neutral expression as he answered back.

"Only partially, and I couldn't care less about it. She deserves death for what she has done to us."

She _had_ forced them into a rather poorly thought out plan, after all, and the blood of his comrades demanded blood in return. The man only chuckled lightly.

"Do forgive her; she wasn't exactly herself at the time."

Adam narrowed his eyes, undeterred by the excuse.

"Tell that to everyone's she's killed, not me."

The man sighed.

"Necessary sacrifices; nothing more, nothing less. Besides, anything _she_ has done is nothing compared to what _we_ do, and even that is nothing compared to what _they_ will do."

Adam hid his confusion at the man's words, probing for whatever information he could in a calm tone.

"And what _do_ you do, exactly?"

Raau caught on to Adam's intentions quickly, if his pointed response was anything to go by.

"Just wait, Mr. Taurus. I'll get to that later. Right now, however, there is the matter of where you fit into all of this."

Adam gave a hateful reply, directed at the woman that started all of this in the first place.

"Cinder forced my hand. I didn't exactly have a choice at the time."

If he did, he would have said "no" every time, especially if his past self knew what accepting her offer meant in the long run. The man nodded simply.

"I'm sure you didn't. Cinder isn't exactly the kind to take 'no' for an answer. That's why I'm giving you a choice here."

Adam raised a wary eyebrow as the man continued.

"Help us, and we'll help you." He shrugged. "Alternatively, you can just refuse and be on your way. Your choice."

Adam almost wanted to spit in his face, though he kept his temper in check as he replied.

"The White Fang doesn't need help from people like you. Even more importantly, what possible reason could I have to trust you?"

The man gave an amused grin in response.

"Trusting and helping aren't exactly the same thing, you know. Besides, I don't believe you're aware of our own connections inside your little…organization."

Adam snarled angrily at that, though he was unable to say anything as the man continued on.

"We have plenty of people in the White Fang, and not all of them are just the rank and file grunts, either."

Adam reined his temper in, letting a fragile calm return to his expression.

"So they would betray their people, just like that? For what? Money? Power?"

The man shook his head disapprovingly.

"These people know that there's much more at stake here than just humans and Faunus. The things that we fight against, well, they don't particularly care about whether or not their victims have tails or ears in places that they shouldn't."

Adam scoffed at that, unconvinced.

"Don't think to persuade me. The White Fang is a band of brothers and sisters in arms; something that I'll have to remind these traitors before I kill them."

Raau chuckled at the threat.

"Good luck with that. You're not going anywhere, at least not for now."

Adam returned his attention to the chains holding them down, a dark rage building inside him. The man seemed to notice, giving a rather…unusual remark.

"Do you really think that doing this will make it feel better?"

Adam was puzzled at his words, uncertain of what they meant. All he could do was give a confused reply.

"What?"

The man's expression had turned deathly serious.

"I saw plenty of things while I was inside your head, and a few of my…associates have also done the same and told me all about it. Based off what I'm seeing, your little crusade isn't as selfless as you like to think it is."

Adam grew tense, none too pleased with the implications of what he was saying.

"If you were inside my mind, then you should know that I do what I do for the future of my people. Nothing more, and absolutely nothing less."

Raau gave an amused chuckle.

"Sure. Keep telling yourself that. Your mind seems to agree with you, if only so it can keep you from finding the truth."

The strange man from earlier flashed in Adam's eyes for a moment, his final words echoing in Adam's ears.

' _The truth hurts, and you just hate getting hurt, don't you?'_

Adam shook it away; no need to let himself appear weak here.

"Enough of this. I will bring my people a better tomorrow, and nothing will stop me!"

The man didn't appear convinced, responding in an almost pitying tone. Adam _hated_ that.

"Not even the man that killed your parents?"

Adam froze, his eyes widening ever so slightly. The man continued on, a harsh look on his face.

"You don't even know who it is, do you?"

For some reason, Adam couldn't find an answer. He could only give a dazed response, one that was cut off rather abruptly as it tried to leave his mouth.

"I will not-"

"Enough of that, Mr. Taurus. You're playing a dangerous game here, and you don't even know it. Your own mind locked off the truth to you for some reason, and while I won't force it out, I'm not going to let you continue lying to yourself like this."

His expression softened ever so slightly.

"It doesn't help you, and it certainly doesn't help your people."

Adam grew silent at the man's words, uncertain of how to respond. He only uttered one word in a weak, questioning tone.

"Why?"

"Why, you ask? Because that's just what I do." He shrugged. "It might also have something to do with this being more or less a rather vital part of my job here, but I digress. Point is, I'm not the type to sit back and watch people like you carry on like this, not if I can help it."

Adam replied in an uncertain tone.

"So what happens now?"

He answered simply.

"Well, that depends on you. The offer still stands, but you're free to refuse it and be on your way if you wish."

Adam's expression grew contemplative as he considered his response.

He could refuse, and forget that this, and anything that was even remotely associated with Cinder, ever happened. Then…he wasn't sure what he'd do next. Carry on with his little war against the humans that wronged him, like he done before? After all of this, he wasn't very sure how that would turn out for him, in all honesty, and that wouldn't do at all.

Alternatively, he could accept, and maybe, just maybe, he'd find another way to secure a better future for Faunus everywhere. Somehow, he found himself honestly preferring that option.

He needed to confirm a few things, however.

"If I were to accept your help, what could I expect to come from that?"

"Well, to be perfectly frank here, I don't know."

Adam narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"What do you mean?"

The man gave a tired sigh in response.

"I won't mince words here; there's a storm building out there, and right now, I'm not so certain that we'll be able to weather it." He smiled, if only slightly. "You think the Grimm are the only things out there we have to watch out for? Because let me tell you, they're just the tip of this iceberg."

Adam took the words in carefully, nodding ever so slightly as he considered his response.

He had always kept a wary eye out for Grimm activity, and he didn't let his hatred for humans cloud his judgement when those monsters were involved, at least, not usually. If there was something out there that was worse than even _them_ , well, that certainly wouldn't be good, for humans or Faunus.

"And you believe that we stand a better chance against them if we work together?"

The man nodded.

"Better that we fight them than each other. These little battles between us aren't really going to mean much if we all end up dead by the time everything's over."

"Then why hasn't anyone heard of all of this?"

The man answered simply.

"The quick answer? Fear."

Adam blinked in momentary confusion.

"Fear?"

Raau kept a calm expression as he elaborated on his point.

"The mind has an odd tendency to scare easily when faced with something it doesn't understand, and trust me, the things we face are in a league of their own in that respect. People like me? The people that I work with? We've had years, hell, even _decades_ to get numb to all of it, at least in our own ways."

He carried on, a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"Normal people? You don't even _want_ to know how they'd react to some of the stuff that we try to keep away from their eyes."

That left a rather glaring problem, to say the least, one that Adam hoped the man had a solution to.

"Then how do we expect to fight back?"

"How, you ask?" He chuckled lightly. "I'll tell you as soon as one of us figures out the answer."

His expression hardened.

"Doesn't mean any of us are going to just sit back and let it happen, at least not without a fight."

"And why is that?"

"Because this world is just worth fighting for, simple as that." He shrugged. "At least, that's what my answer to that is. Each of us has our own reason for being here, after all, and I can't exactly speak for any of them. Besides, I should be the one asking that, Mr. Taurus."

He cocked an eyebrow expectantly.

"So tell me; what reason do _you_ have to fight?"

Adam had a hard time coming up with an answer.

The man laughed slightly at Adam's confusion.

"Well, if you ever find an answer, you can tell me all about it when I come back."

He stood up to his feet, walking over and loosening the chains that were holding Adam to the chair.

"Do remember to think about the offer I made you, if you would be so kind. I would hate to see potential like yours be wasted, especially in times like these."

The man proceeded to leave the room, turning his head back around one final time as he was one foot out the doorway.

"Do as you please, just don't leave this room until I get back."

With that, he shut the door behind him, heading off to some unknown place.

Adam was only vaguely aware of all that happening, consumed in his own thoughts as they raced inside his head.

Before all of this, he would no doubt have said that he fought for his people, to see that they get the better future that they deserved.

Now, however, he wasn't so sure.

What _did_ he have left to fight for?

Hope that somehow, a better future would come one day? Like that would ever happen. Humans and Faunus were locked in a bitter cycle of hatred, one that he, on some level, knew he was perpetuating by his actions. He was a part of that cycle, and for better or for worse, he wasn't going to be the one to end it.

A desire to change the world, for better or for worse? Not particularly, no. He would live his life as he wished, and whether or not that did anything to the world of Remnant at large mattered little to him.

A chance to be remembered? Not really. In truth, it would be better that he be forgotten; just another link in the long chain of bitter violence and cruel hatred, and he knew this fact, yet did nothing to change it.

Love? No, he had given up on that when Blake left him. Betrayal cut deeper than any sword ever could, and hers cut even deeper than that. He'd have to repay her for that someday; it was only fair that she know what he felt that day. Maybe something even worse.

He found himself going through every reason that he believed that most people have to fight for, and he found nothing.

Nothing but his own rage.

So that was what he was; a monster that disguised itself as a revolutionary.

Hatred was what drove him. He wasn't even sure if it was for just the humans, either. He was just lashing out in anger, really. The world had hurt him, and he wanted to hurt it back, nothing more, and nothing less.

Somewhere along the way, he decided to hide behind a mask, making the excuse that he sought a better future for his people, and after a point, he started believing his own lie, just as many of his brothers and sisters in the White Fang did.

They were the ones to take him in, replace the family he had lost to the humans' cruelty, and while he cared greatly for them, he knew little more than his hatred, and he forged it into purpose, false purpose, admittedly, but purpose nonetheless.

Maybe Blake wasn't all that wrong when she had judged him so. Maybe she had seen through all the lies he gave and found her way past the mask he wore. Maybe she wasn't so wrong in deciding to leave him once she saw that he wasn't going to change his ways.

He couldn't blame her for that.

She saw what he didn't, after all. A small part of him wanted to thank her for helping him see what he couldn't, but it was only a small part.

The rest gave in to familiar hatred like it always did.

He laughed bitterly.

Maybe he didn't have any reason to fight after all. Not any good reasons, at least. That didn't mean he wouldn't fight; it wasn't like he could do anything else, anyways.

Fighting was all he knew at this point, and what he knew was the only thing he could fall back on when nothing else was there for him. It wasn't like he had anything else to begin with, anyways.

He just sat in silence for a moment until a thought played out in his mind, one that held the faintest shred of hope.

Maybe he could find something by doing this, by fighting for a cause that just might do more than perpetuate the cycle of hatred.

A cause that he just might believe in.

Surely, he would find some purpose facing down the things that sought to destroy anything and anyone he ever knew. At the very least, he could direct his rage towards something that deserved it.

He was smiling ever so slightly.

Perhaps he wasn't completely without something to fight for after all.

* * *

James Raau

' _Well, they weren't lying when they told me about him...'_

Both the King and the Presence had mentioned quite a few rather…unsettling things about Adam Taurus in the reports. Granted, James didn't usually take much stock in what a paper could tell him, but when it was the direct words from his colleagues, well, he could make an exception.

A good thing, too, as the bull Faunus was a particularly dizzying case to wrap one's head around.

His mind was a wreck, to say the least. It sought to hide his memories, that much was obvious. As a way to hide this, it sought to feed him lies, which he ate up without a care up until this point. Now, the man was starting to question.

A good start, he supposed.

Adam's troubles had a start in his past, there was no doubt about that.

Whatever had happened to him before, it was painful enough that his own mind sought to shut it out. As for what could possibly have caused this, James could only imagine, but based off what he had seen from earlier, it had quite a bit to do with the loss of the man's parents.

That strange suited man was without a doubt another falsehood, but his words had only raised more questions, and answers were unfortunately in rather short supply.

The issue was only further worsened by his rather unfortunate hatred of himself, redirected into hatred for humanity as his mind lied to itself to protect him. All of it stemmed back to that one, damning memory that refused to show itself.

If only it were as simple as just unlocking his mind.

Granted, James could do that (both the King and the Presence could have done the same as well, in fact), but doing that would only bring up pain at a time when the man simply wasn't ready to face it.

He'd have to confront whatever happened to him when he was ready for it; doing so any sooner would have…unfortunate consequences that James honestly preferred not to think about.

As for finding when he _was_ ready, well, that was a rather tricky affair, to say the least. The only one who knew for certain was the man himself, and he didn't seem to be in any rush to do so.

A pity, really.

Adam was merely another link in a cruel cycle that had gone on for centuries. Humans and Faunus were locked in this cycle for as long as both sides could remember, and neither ever truly found a way to end it.

A bitter cycle of revenge, one filled with murdered parents and their avenging children. Again and again.

To ask for them to stop would be the same thing as asking the sun to stop shining. In a word, impossible.

James sighed at the thought of it.

Such divisions only served to weaken both of them, as much as either side felt justified in their actions. Monsters like the Grimm cared little for the distinction between Human and Faunus, after all.

How this would all matter in the end, James didn't know. All he could do was fight for what he thought was right, and he could only hope that he could get other people to do the same.

He had one more person to talk to; then he could finally call it a day.

He came upon the cell holding one James Ironwood.

' _Well, let's hope this turns out at least a little better…'_

Somehow, he sincerely doubted that as he opened the door to the general's cell, readying to have yet another gaze into yet another mind.

He sighed tiredly.

' _Oh well…'_

James Ironwood

The general awoke to a familiar sight, one that he had seen more than enough of, if he were to be honest.

He was sitting behind his desk back at Atlas, one that was positively cluttered with various half-written orders and unread reports, and was also surrounded by several computer screens, all of which had been turned off.

Just the way he had left it when he left for Vale a few weeks ago.

Odd, wasn't he still supposed to be in Vale?

Something had clearly happened, yet what that _something_ was escaped him.

He was in the middle of fighting off a massive Grimm invasion, leading his men in the defense of Vale's skies. Somewhere along the way, fate had decided to deal him a bad hand and he ended up losing his entire fleet to one Roman Torchwick, and everything went black not long after that.

He didn't look forward to telling the families about their lost sons and daughters.

He sighed; every death was on him, and he wasn't one to run from that responsibility.

Still, he could deal with that matter later. Right now, there was the issue of just how he had gone to being on a crashing airship to back in Atlas. He was looking forward to finding how to bridge that particular gap in logic.

Just as he started pondering possible answers to this little mystery, he heard the familiar sound of his door opening, signaling the entrance of a rather unusual looking man, one that had a fair length red coat running down the length of his back almost all the way down to his knees, along with a fairly heavy looking book in his hands.

The strange man walked with a casual pace, though his eyes, which had a faint purple glow behind them, were focused quite intently on the general as he approached.

He took a seat on the opposite side of the desk, speaking with a calm tone as he laid his book down to the side of the table.

"I suppose you're wondering who I am, correct?"

The general nodded carefully, narrowing his eyes at the unusual man as he did so.

"Dr. James Raau, at your service." He shrugged. "Don't pay too much mind to the title, though. I certainly don't."

The general regarded the man in a suspicious voice, none too pleased with the unexpected intrusion into his office.

"What brings you here, doctor?"

That last part elicited a sigh from the man in question, though he made no further issue of it as he answered back.

"Perhaps I should clarify something here. You're not exactly where you think you are." He pointed a finger to his head. "All of this you're seeing here? It isn't quite real, at least not in the usual sense. The mind is a rather interesting thing, isn't it?"

The general kept his tone measured, not particularly certain what the man meant by that.

"Excuse me?"

The man chuckled lightly at that.

"Let's see, to put things simply, you are inside your own mind, and I'm merely a visitor to this place. You can understand that much, correct?"

He nodded slowly, trying to wrap his head around the concept.

"Good. As for why I'm here, well, the best answer I can give is _you_."

The general blinked in confusion for a second before regaining his composure.

"What?"

"You heard me. You are the one that brings me here."

He kept his expression neutral as he replied.

"What do you want from me, doctor?"

The man's expression hardened in response, his tone turning serious.

"Tell me something, general; what do you think the real threat to humanity in all of this is?"

He considered his answer for a second; not quite sure how he would respond.

The obvious answer would have been the Grimm, yet he knew all too well that more often than not, mankind proved to be its own worst enemy.

Cinder Fall was living proof of that, a dangerous woman that had left nothing but a trail of blood and death in her pursuit for power. Granted, she wasn't the only one, but she had most certainly proved to be among the most prominent.

He answered simply.

"Traitors."

The man accepted the answer with a slight nod, replying in a calm tone.

"Fair enough, I suppose. Still, what if I told you that there are much, _much_ more dangerous things that are hiding out there in the world of Remnant, things that make the Grimm look downright _preferable_ in comparison?"

Ironwood raised an eyebrow at this.

"Then I would tell you to stop wasting my time."

The man laughed, an amused grin working its way across his face.

"Perhaps I am, but I will tell you that I'm not lying when I say that. Anyways, we'll get to that matter later; as for now, let's talk about you."

The general narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the man in response to his words.

"What about me?"

"Tell me something; just how much do you remember of all you've done to protect this world?"

His eyes widened slightly, carefully regarding just what those words meant.

"I remember every bit of it, right down to every last man, woman, and child that was lost because of me."

He had done much in his lifetime, and not all of it good. Quite a few…questionable activities had gone on under his orders, after all, and unlike Ozpin, he wasn't exactly averse to using any means necessary to get the job done.

At the very least, not a single thing he did ever served any other purpose than protecting the world that he loved. Some part of him hoped that such counted for something. Another part already knew that that was just an excuse.

He let himself think that he was ultimately doing all of this for the greater good, and while it gave him a measure of solace, it didn't particularly lighten the burden he carried.

It was hard to see the good he was doing when he couldn't avert his eyes from the pain he had caused, after all.

He had made a personal commitment to remembering everyone he had ever hurt through his actions, all of which he truly hoped were the right ones to take. They deserved at least that much, probably even more. A pity that he couldn't offer much more than that; he refused to let their loss be in vain, no matter what the cost.

Raau interrupted any further thoughts he could've had on this, speaking in an understanding tone.

"Not everyone can be saved, you know. Sometimes, it's just a choice between one death and several."

The general gave a bitter response to that.

"It doesn't make taking the choice any easier, however."

The man nodded.

"I suppose it doesn't, at least not to someone who has to do it so frequently."

The general found himself agreeing with that statement, knowing all too well what carrying the burden the life of another felt like, what carrying the burdens of _hundreds_ of lives felt like.

"You're more right about that than you know."

He wasn't one to let himself fall apart at the loss of a man; death was an all too common occurrence in his profession, unfortunately, and he had grown rather numb to it after a point. Of course, he never let any death go unremembered, or unanswered, for that matter. Any man that died under him died for a greater cause, and a death like that would never be in vain.

At least, that's what he always liked to tell himself after he woke up from the nightmares that plagued his dreams.

A good night's sleep became an elusive thing after he joined the military, especially once he got a command of his own. He had become numb to death, but that didn't mean he ever went entirely unaffected by it. No sane man ever would.

The man spoke up again, another question coming out.

"Do you really think that you're doing the right thing?"

The general almost stared back, not quite sure how to respond.

"What do you mean?"

The man chuckled, a small grin playing across his lips.

"Allow me to rephrase that; do you truly believe that what you do will ultimately serve to keep our world safe?"

The general took a moment to consider his answer before replying.

"I don't know, and I don't believe I ever will know."

He wanted to say yes, but he just couldn't; doubt gnawed at the back of his mind like an insatiable parasite, one that refused to go away no matter what he did.

The man could only shake his head disapprovingly.

"Perhaps you'll never learn if you were truly right in the end, but that doesn't mean you should let it cloud your judgement. Our choices are final, whether we like it or not, and there's no point in making one if you aren't going to stick with it."

His expression hardened as he continued on.

"With that in mind, let me ask you something."

The general inclined his head inquisitively.

"What would that be?"

"Would you step away from all of this if you could? Let someone else make all the hard choices? Let someone else fight the good fight?"

The general wasn't expecting to hear something like that, and his expression grew contemplative as he considered his answer.

Would he ever give up his position to someone else? Perhaps, if they could be trusted to do better than he ever could. That left the question of who that someone was, and he simply couldn't find an answer.

"No. There is too much at stake here to let someone else get it wrong. I don't know if what I do will ultimately help or harm this world, but I refuse to stand on the sidelines and let someone else protect it."

Raau nodded, satisfied with the general's answer.

"Good to hear. Still, if you truly think to protect this world, then I believe you should hear me out."

He gave a raised eyebrow as an affirmative.

"I'm listening."

The man's expression had gone deathly serious at this point, no hint of lightheartedness in his tone as he spoke.

"There is a storm brewing on the horizon, general, and humanity just isn't ready to weather it, not the way it is right now."

"What do you mean?"

The man sighed at the question.

"Humanity is divided: weak. We cannot hope to stand together against what is to come if we can't even get past our own differences, now can we? We are at our strongest when we are united, and sadly, we can't even manage that at this point."

The general found himself wanting to agree with this, to his dismay.

"Then what do you suggest we do, then?"

The man's expression turned pensive for a moment before he answered.

"Answer me this; how much did Ozpin tell you about some of the darker secrets this world holds?"

The general blinked in confusion for a moment, almost stunned by the question. He answered in a cautious tone.

"He told me little, in all honesty. The power of the four maidens was the only thing he ever really told me about."

The man nodded, a grim look over his features.

"Then I suppose I should tell you that there are much greater powers at work here. If you think that Cinder's little conspiracy was a real threat, then you should know that she was just the start."

The general took the man's words in carefully, and he didn't like what they implied.

"If that is true, then I would have no idea of it. Even so, I won't let that stop me."

A small smile played across the man's lips as the general said that.

"Then perhaps you would consider working with me, as well as the people I work for?"

The general took a moment to consider the offer, though it was just a moment; he saw no point in refusing help when he could get it.

"If you are truly out to protect the world that we live in, then I see no reason that we can't help each other towards a common goal."

The man nodded, pleased with the general's answer.

"Good."

He outstretched a hand, which the general took in a firm handshake.

"Now then, general Ironwood, I need you to do me a favor."

"And what would that be?"

"Close your eyes for a moment."

The general complied slowly and cautiously, and when his eyes shut, he could vaguely hear a sound in his ears, one that sounded not unlike the rapid turning of the pages of a book.

The sound grew louder with every second, and he found that his eyes weren't moving, either. All of a sudden, however, the sound stopped, and when he opened his eyes, he found that he was no longer in his office at Atlas.

Instead, he found himself in a room that looked remarkably like a prison cell, a table in the center, himself sitting at one end of it and the man from earlier sitting at the other.

"Welcome back to the real world, general."

"Where am I?"

"No need to worry, just one of our smaller facilities in Vale. I presume that you remember what we discussed inside your head?"

The general nodded, recalling the agreement they had reached.

"I do, and I believe that we had already finished that matter."

"Of course….of course…I just needed to make sure."

He pulled out a scroll from his coat, handing it over to the general.

"Don't lose it. It'll be the way we contact you once we get things sorted out on our end. Anyways, you're free to go, if you wish. Try not to get lost on the way back."

He motioned towards the door with a hand, a slight smirk over his face as he made that last remark.

The general was just about to get up when the door opened from the other side, and in walked a veritable giant of a man, one wearing a simple white coat over a mostly unremarkable navy-blue dress shirt and a pair of black slacks.

Raau took notice of the newcomer with surprise on his face.

"Robert? What are you doing here? I thought you were busy dealing with-"

"Already done, James. Right now, however, I have a few things that I need to discuss with general Ironwood, so I would appreciate just a bit of privacy in this matter."

The newcomer regarded the general with an odd look in his eyes, falling somewhere between suspicion and curiosity. Raau promptly stood up from his chair, Robert quickly filling his place.

"Well, Robert, if it's that important, then be my guest. I'll be outside if you need me."

Giving one final nod to the general, the man left the room, shutting the door behind him and leaving just the two of them. The general was the one to speak first.

"I don't believe I caught your name? Robert, or something like that?"

He answered back simply.

"Doctor Robert Thalon. Enough about me, however."

The doctor pulled out a collection of papers from his coat and placed them on the table. The general took a moment to read what was on them before his eyes promptly widened at what he was reading.

If his eyes weren't deceiving him, then he was reading the project files for the (now defunct) Ascension Initiative, shut down after a…"catastrophic accident", as the official reports would have said.

The reality behind it was much more complicated affair…one that was beyond top-secret.

How anyone outside the higher ranks of the Atlesian military was able to get even a single scrap of information about the project, let alone what seemed to be the entire file, was a complete mystery to the general.

He turned to the doctor, asking the man a question in a very severe tone.

"Tell me something, doctor: how exactly did you get your hands on classified information like this?"

The man merely waved the question away like it was nothing.

"That's not important right now."

His expression turned grave, his red eyes narrowing darkly as he continued on.

"What _is_ important is that you tell me everything you know about the Ascension Initiative and Doctor Onyx Blackwell."

* * *

Salem

Salem was alone now, the gaze of the primals focused squarely on her as she did the same with each of them. Each regarded her with varying levels of suspicion and curiosity in their eyes, some more than others.

The primal in the middle was the first to speak, words coming out in a measured tone, betraying no more than a cold, calculating calm.

" **Who are you?"**

Before she could answer, the primal to her left spoke up in a suspicious tone, red eyes burning with barely contained rage.

" **You carry the scent of one that has been touched by the Grimm, human! Give me a reason for this, or you will not leave this place alive!"**

She kept her face stoic, unfazed by the threat it gave as she gave her reason with utmost calm.

"You three are not the only ones I have been in contact with. Some proved quite…cooperative, especially once I was through with them."

The angered primal snarled, seething with hatred at her words. It stepped out of the shadows for a brief moment, a blood stained claw peeking out of the darkness for a split second before disappearing back into the shadows.

" **Insolent whelp! Still your tongue or-"**

It was cut off before it could finish, stopped by a single word from the primal in the center.

" **Enough."**

Both primals turned their gaze onto each other for the briefest of moments, one filled with rage and the other with what looked like disappointment. They stared at each other for a bit before the enraged primal eventually relented as it returned its gaze on her, slightly calmer than before, though still with a not insignificant amount of suspicion in its eyes.

" **You are fortunate, human. We'll see how long that lasts."**

The third primal in the room, the one that had yet to say anything, laughed lightly at this, though it made no further comment as the first primal spoke again.

" **As I was saying: who are you?"**

She answered simply, keeping her eyes locked firmly on the primal that had posed the question.

"My name is Salem."

" **Are you aware of who you address, Salem?"**

She nodded with a dark grin on her features. She had spent quite a bit of time familiarizing herself with these three before she even set foot into the cave where Dragan had been buried; her…contact had been quite helpful in that regard.

"I am quite aware of who I am speaking to."

She turned to the primal on her left, the one that had thought to intimidate her with empty threats. She chuckled at the thought of it.

"Kordor, the Blood Father."

The primal growled at the mention of his name, fully stepping out of the shadows to reveal the terrifying visage of a titanic wolf Grimm.

His head was covered by a stark white bone mask that only showed his eyes, both of which were narrowed dangerously as he bared his fangs at her. His fur coat was black as night at first glance, yet if one looked closely, then one could see the barely noticeable hint of deep crimson that permeated his entire form like a carpet of dried blood.

 _The Blood Father_ : a fitting name, to say the least.

His title had been earned through millennia of experience on the battlefield, and his razor sharp claws and fangs had spelled the end for countless foes, Grimm or otherwise. A veritable whirlwind of death to any that dared to face him in battle, some even said that his claws had been eternally soaked in the blood of his enemies, cursed to drip the foul liquid until the very end of his days.

One look at them lent quite a bit of credence to that rumor, a dark puddle of blood forming on the ground where he had placed his paws. The claws themselves had been stained a deep red, no hint of the usual black of other Grimm.

She chuckled; perhaps the fearful whispers surrounding his howling roar, one that would inspire nothing but pure terror in all who heard it, held a degree of truth as well.

At the very least, the rumors about his foul temper were clearly true. His unending rage only further enhanced his reputation as a monstrous force of nature, one that perfectly personified the collective fury of the Grimm as a whole.

Of course, this made him such an easy victim of manipulation, though the same couldn't be said of his fellow primals, and even he himself wasn't a complete fool.

She turned to the one on her right, eight eyes greeting her gaze with a hint of amusement in them.

"Ariak, the Brood Mother."

The primal laughed again, stepping out of the shadows as she did so to reveal the monstrous sight of a terrifyingly massive spider Grimm.

" **Ha! This one knows much, doesn't she?"**

Stark white bone armor covered her body on all sides, save for her underbelly. Her eight legs ended in dangerously sharp points, all of which looked more than capable of piercing the thickest of hides and armors with casual ease. Her mandibles were producing a clicking sound as she regarded Salem curiously.

A sickly green fluid dripped from her jaws; her unique brand of poison that promised nothing but relentless agony to any of those unfortunate enough to come into contact with it.

 _The Brood Mother_ , the more approachable of the three, though she had her oddities here and there. None of them good, of course.

To say that ending up in her loathsome clutches was a fate worse than death was an understatement, to say the least. If the hushed tales were anything to go by (and based off their previous accuracy in describing Kordor, they were), then the most pleasant fate that any of her victims could expect was a long, agonizing death as her children drained the very life out of them, leaving nothing but a desiccated husk by the time they were finished.

The more unfortunate ones were strung up in her thick webs, hanged to dry like some sort of sick trophy as her poison coursed through their veins, a grim reminder to all of the terror of the Brood Mother.

At least she wasn't quite as outright murderous as Kordor, though only as a result of her enjoyment for inflicting pure agony upon her victims for as long as possible.

None of that detracted from the reality that she was just as dangerous, if not as obviously so. Her foes did well to tread carefully against her, and any that brought harm to her children could only look forward to a particularly agonizing demise when she inevitably sunk her fangs into them.

Thankfully, she was more interested in doting on her children and partaking in her sick pleasures than outright genocide like most normal Grimm, and taking advantage of that fact was an easy way to win her over.

The same wasn't true for the third primal, however. He had been the one to catch Salem's interest the most out of the three of them, solely based off the threat that he posed.

She turned to the final primal, who was eyeing her with nothing but cold, calculating calm.

"And finally…Alerak, the Hallowed Defiler."

He narrowed his eyes at her, the shadows surrounding his section of the cavern parting to reveal some… _thing_ that well and truly defied all description.

His entire body was covered in a thick mass of black shadows, the only visible part being his bone white mask covering the area where his face should've been. The rest of his body, however, was only vaguely defined in the shape of some sort of animal, though she couldn't quite tell what past the veil of shadows.

Several tendrils of thick black snaked their way off the back of his shrouded body, moving about ominously, each ending in a dangerously sharp tip that could no doubt impale an unwary foe with ease.

In a word, there was just something _off_ about the way he looked, and she would be lying to herself if it didn't slightly unnerve her.

 _The Hallowed Defiler_ , a true abomination that made a complete mockery of the natural laws that governed this world and all that lived in it.

The tales that had described him were regaled through mad ravings, their storyteller completely and utterly terrified of the eldritch horror that his words tried (and completely failed) to describe. It was a good thing that she had her…associate to help decipher these ramblings, or their meanings would likely have been lost entirely in translation.

A dangerous prospect, given the sheer terror his mere presence exuded. Even his fellow primals were wary of his activities; few ever daring to invoke his wrath without good cause, and they always treaded carefully even then.

Such wasn't the limit of his reach, however. In truth, it was just the beginning.

Insidious and cunning, even among primals, he was well aware of the value of manipulation, and he conducted entire conflicts during the height of the Grimm wars of old, playing his opponents for fools time and time again in fruitless battles against each other as he readied to crush them both when the dust settled.

Such was the extent of what she knew about him, however; any further information she could have gleaned on the subject was lost as the madman that had told her all of this degraded into a gibbering wreck, lost in his own insane ramblings before she put him out of his misery.

It didn't matter either way; she had already heard enough to know that this was _not_ a being that should be trifled with, not at all.

The shadowed primal spoke in a cold tone, his eyes never wavering away from her in their focused gaze.

" **You seem to know much about us, Salem, yet you are an unknown to us."**

She chose her words carefully.

"There is no need for concern; I am merely here to propose a…agreement, of sorts, between us."

Kordor scoffed at this, speaking in a derisive tone.

" **And what possible reason would we have to align with a human like you? This world belongs to us, and us alone."**

Salem turned to face the titanic wolf Grimm, a dark glint in her eyes as she delivered her response with a slight smile playing across her features.

"Then would you care to explain the rather…unfortunate death of one of your own?"

He took a moment to register just what her words meant before he let out a snarl of contempt.

" **An'Trok was a fool, one consumed by his own ego! That young upstart had no right to call himself one of us! This world is better now that he is dead."**

Ariak muttered quietly under her breath, something about wasted potential, if Salem was hearing things correctly. Alerak gave a retort of his own, his tone even.

" **While An'Trok's…untimely demise was an unfortunate loss,"** His eyes turned briefly on Kordor with a disapproving look, though the wolf Grimm only snorted in disgust at the mention of the deceased primal, " **he was merely one of many, and he was most certainly not the most dangerous out of all of us."**

Salem had already been well aware of that fact, though she didn't intend to let any of them catch on to that. Besides, even if he wasn't the strongest of the primals, the Great Carrion's death signaled that a new era had arrived, one that called the primals' supposedly uncontested rule over the world of Remnant into question.

"Perhaps, but there is no denying that the humanity of old, the humanity that you are used to, is no more, instead replaced by something much stronger, something that can pose a greater threat to you than ever before."

Kordor scoffed while Ariak spoke up in an amused tone.

" **Then what do you propose we do, exactly?"**

Salem hid the dark grin that wanted to form on her face as she replied.

"Like I said earlier, I propose that we work towards a common goal that I know we all share: the destruction of humanity and all it has ever created."

' _The destruction of everything that has ever existed in this wretched world.'_

Salem kept that thought to herself; no need to tell them of that, at least not before it was too late for any of them to do anything about it.

All three primals had turned their eyes onto each other, a silent conversation occurring between the three of them, eventually ending with them reaching an agreement, based off the nearly imperceptible nod that they gave to each other.

All of them turned their eyes on her, Alerak speaking for all three of them.

" **We are listening, Salem. Speak quickly."**

She smiled darkly, taking satisfaction in this small victory, though she didn't have any intentions of stopping just yet.

"Excellent. I believe this…partnership will prove beneficial to all of us, and I am certain that you would find that acceptable, am I correct?"

Well, she had a feeling that this would be more beneficial to herself than to any of them, but they didn't need to know that.

" **For now. However, do not think to test us: if any of this goes even marginally against our interests, then this little arrangement will be forfeit, as will your life."**

Fair enough, she supposed. She'd have to tread carefully; no need to invoke their ire at a time like this.

"Of course. I trust that you do not think to test me, either?"

She had a dark glint behind her eyes, a barely visible smirk on her expression as she said that.

Kordor growled in anger and bared his fangs while Alerak didn't react at all, at least not visibly.

Ariak, on the other hand, laughed without a care in the world, a howling cackle echoing throughout the cavern as her eyes lit up brightly from sheer amusement.

" **I do believe I'm starting to like you, Salem!"**

Her eight eyes turned towards her fellow primals for a moment, a hint of disappointment in them.

" **These two are just no fun at all. I'm sure you'll prove more entertaining than both of them combined!"**

Kordor seemed to take offense at that, though he said nothing, most likely a result of the cold glare that Alerak was leveling towards both of them, though she hardly seemed affected by his silent disapproval, faint chuckles escaping her maw until she eventually quieted down, her eyes still bright with excitement.

Alerak shot her one final look of admonishment before returning his attention to Salem, who had made a mental note to keep a very close eye on the spider Grimm; their respective ideas of "exciting" more than likely having as much in common as the sun and the moon.

" **If you are quite finished, Ariak…I believe that we have nothing further to discuss with our new…associate here."**

Salem already knew what that meant. She sighed quietly to herself as he uttered the words.

" **Leave us."**

A pity that she had to leave so soon; these three were certainly…interesting to watch. Dangerous, no doubt, but interesting nonetheless. Alerak had probably caught on to her, though, and he didn't seem very amused, if the cold look in his eyes were anything to go by.

' _Oh well…_ ' She supposed. At least she had gotten what she came here for, and with surprising ease, as well. Most other primals she had reached out to, bar a select few, were rather…averse to the idea of working with someone that wasn't one of their own.

Occasionally, negotiations became rather…aggressive, to say the least. She had put the handful of primals that made the mistake of underestimating her in their place, though those were usually the younger ones, brash and prone to arrogance at the worst of times.

The older ones, however, were far more dangerous. She always treaded carefully around them, and these three primals in front of her were no different. Alerak in particular being even more so, in fact.

She bowed her head at them before turning around and heading back the way she came.

As she made her way through the tunnels to the surface, her thoughts drifted to what this little victory here meant for her plans.

Another strand in her web had been spun with this, yet another group of primals brought into the ever expanding fold.

She'd have to keep a close eye on these ones, however, or at least, more so than others. For all their…eccentricities, Kordor and Ariak were among the oldest and most dangerous of the primal Grimm for a _very_ good reason, and that wasn't even going into the threat that Alerak could pose.

It wouldn't matter in the end, of course, but there was no need to make her ultimate task any more difficult than it needed to be.

Cleansing Remnant would be difficult enough on its own.

Her thoughts turned to her purpose, a dark smile growing on her features.

The world of Remnant had been tainted, corrupted by the vermin that infested its surface, human or otherwise. They ran rampant, unchecked in their wretched influence. The humans had their kingdoms, their bastions of light amidst a sea of darkness. The Grimm had everything else, an endless black tide that snuffed out all but the brightest of lights.

All of them were nothing more than maggots, picking away at the scraps of a dying corpse.

 _How sickening._

They had rotted this world to its very core, and there would be no saving it, not like this.

The only solution was to wipe the slate clean, reset the world to its natural state, and let it start afresh.

 _Let them burn._

The whispers had spoken of it in her dreams, faintly at first, but they were ever persistent. They whispered to her, and she heard them. In time, that wouldn't be all that she did.

She listened to them.

She understood them.

She _believed_ them.

They had opened her eyes to the truth, and she would see that everyone else's eyes would be opened as well.

Whether they wanted to or not.

Of course, it wasn't like it mattered either way. The world of Remnant didn't discriminate between its wayward children in their punishment, after all. All would be consumed in the cleansing flames that would scour this world bare.

She smiled darkly at the thought of it.

The end would come, and she would be the one to bring it forth.

She would not be stopped. Not by the humans, not by the Grimm, and certainly not by Ozpin, that old fool.

The whispers would _not_ be disappointed. They would be so cross with her if they were.

And they knew such cruel torments for when they were displeased with her.

She shuddered, a rare occurrence for someone like her, but the horrors that _they_ could inflict deserved such an uncharacteristic response.

The chattering maws that haunted her dreams had stayed once, and it took the better part of a week or so for their gibbering to finally grow silent again. She still had troubles expelling the sweet, terrible whispers they had given her in that time.

Her breathing and heartbeat grew rapid at the mere thought of it. She shook off the anxiety, her breathing still hitched.

She didn't want to go through _that_ again.

Not at all.

She listened. She believed. She _obeyed_.

This world was forfeit. They demanded it be so, and they would have it.

One way or another, she would make it so. No matter how long it took.

How long had it been since they showed her? A century, perhaps? A little more?

She didn't know, but it wasn't like she particularly cared.

She had spent a long, _long_ time on this, and only now were her plans finally beginning to bear their terrible fruits.

What were a few more years to her, a woman that had lived for well over a century?

Her time in this world had shown her much, most of it giving her a feeling of utter disappointment more than anything else.

She had borne witness to the folly of humanity time and time again, watched their fleeting hopes crushed into wailing despair as the world of Remnant reminded them of their place.

She had found the Grimm wanting, directionless without the guiding might of their primals, driven only by pure instinct and the low cunning that only animals could have.

How they had both grown to rule this dying planet was beyond her. They cared little for their great fortune, of course, lording over this world like it was their birthright.

 _What fools._

They deserved her punishment for their arrogance, and she would deliver it without mercy when the time came.

She sighed inwardly as she stepped out of the tunnel and into the dull light of the moon, the midnight sky dotted with shining stars. The time for judgement would come later.

Right now, she could only wait patiently as her plans unfolded.

She walked onwards, a casual stroll through the darkened forest surrounding the mountain, pale moonlight shining through the trees as she walked past them and into a small clearing. In it, there was a hole in the thick canopy of trees, giving her a clear view of the night sky.

She took a moment to look up, her eyes taking in all the tiny lights in the sky as they shined ever so brightly against the darkness.

The whispers had mentioned the stars to her once. Their words rung in her ears, skittering incessantly in the corner of her mind.

' _They shine so bright, yet none hear them sing! Do you hear them? Their sweet, sweet melodies? Their ringing rhythms? Their silent symphonies? Their hidden hymns? Listen! Listen, and hear them as we do!'_

She tried that once, to no avail. The stars were singing, according to _them_ , yet she heard nothing.

She tried it here as well, only to meet similar results. She sighed; maybe another time.

It was still a wondrous sight, she admitted to herself, one that she rarely ever got the chance to appreciate; her plans were ever in motion, and even the slightest moment of inattention could spell disaster.

Still, she supposed that she could allow herself just this one moment.

As she gazed onwards into the stars above, she pondered her next move in this little game she had been playing.

She had just acquired some new pawns, powerful ones, to say the least. She'd have to find a use for them soon; she had the advantage here, and she was loathe to let it slip from her grasp.

What to do with them, though?

That was the real question. She would have pondered the answer had she not heard a rustling in the surrounding trees.

Turning to face the rogue sound, she saw a dark figure lurking in the shadows, a pair of cold amber eyes resting squarely on her, an unreadable expression in them.

The moment she turned her red eyes to meet them, the figure began to walk forwards, stepping out of the shadows and into the pale light of the moon.

She smiled darkly as he approached.

"Hello, Richard."

* * *

James Ironwood

"…and where would you have me start, doctor?"

The general didn't like giving away such classified information if he could help it, though if these people already had access to it, then they probably would have found out whatever they needed, anyways.

At least this way he could give them his reasons for starting it, his version of the failure that was the Ascension Initiative.

Besides, wasn't he supposed to be working with these people? Keeping secrets from allies didn't sit well with him, something that Ozpin was all too happy to do to him, as much as he hated that.

If he wasn't willing to trust these people, then there was no point in trying to work with them, either.

"From the beginning: I need _everything_ you know."

The general nodded, taking a moment to ponder how he would start. The subject was still a rather…sore point for him, after all, and he wanted nothing more than to just let it rot away in the back of his mind, buried and forgotten until the end of his days.

Still, he shoved that desire away as he started.

"The project started when one Dr. Onyx Blackwell came to me with the idea of Dust augmentation in the use of what was effectively an army of super soldiers. Where he came from, as well as who he was, we didn't know, but his skills had placated our desires for more…concrete information on the man himself."

The doctor scoffed at this.

"That was your first mistake. He is… _was_ a dangerous man that should never be underestimated."

The general raised an eyebrow at the doctor's statement.

"Whatever he may have been, he is dead now. Lost along with the project he created."

That set something off inside the doctor, a bitter laugh escaping his mouth as he just shook his head.

"You know, I thought that too about a…friend, once." He chuckled. "Then he came back even worse than before."

He let out one final, bitter chuckle, a look of regret on his face.

"The dead just don't like staying dead, you know? In any case, that's all in the past. You were saying…?"

The general was feeling suspicious, if he were being honest with himself. He wasn't deaf, after all; he had heard that slip of the tongue just a bit earlier.

There was clearly something more to all of this, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Dr. Blackwell received his funding, as well as a remote laboratory to conduct his research. He had been rather…insistent that he have total control over all aspects of the project."

"And I am assume you people made the mistake of agreeing to that?"

The general frowned ever so slightly as he recalled the council's decision regarding Dr. Blackwell's…"request".

He had considered it much more akin to a demand than anything else, in all honesty.

"We gave him quite a bit of leash, yes, but we weren't fools. I was assigned to oversee the project as a whole, though he still had full authority over the actual research."

He still recalled what that particular experience had been like, and he growled internally at the mere _thought_ of doing anything like that again. Admittedly, he didn't mind playing overseer to a few over eager scientists, at least not for something so vital.

No, the real problem was dealing with the other head of the project.

Dr. Blackwell was undoubtedly a brilliant man, but that was likely the kindest thing the general could ever hope to say about him. Otherwise, he was a rather…demanding man, to say the least, always expecting results out of those that worked with him (more like under him, in all honestly).

Whenever that didn't happen, well, there was absolute _hell_ to pay, and the general more often than not found himself on the receiving end of the man's fury.

How he had managed to resist the urge to strangle the man to death at those times, he didn't know, but it had certainly taught him a thing or two about patience, if nothing else.

"I doubt you had _any_ idea of what he was doing away from your prying eyes, general. Am I correct?"

He narrowed his eyes at that, almost insulted.

"I knew _exactly_ what he was doing, and no, testing on live subjects was _not_ the sort of thing that I agreed with, something I made abundantly clear to both him and the council."

Dr. Thalon kept his eyes level, a hard look in them as he responded in an even tone.

"Well, then I suppose I should be asking why you stayed despite all of that." His eyes narrowed. "So, why _did_ you stay?"

A good question, if he were being honest with himself. Everyone involved in the project had something to gain from it, after all.

The council wanted an army of super soldiers, a private army that would advance their kingdom's interests like no other. One that answered to no one but the councilors themselves. They had resented the military's growing influence at the time, and he knew a power play when he saw one. A pity that it had ultimately blown up in their faces.

 _Not._

As for the researchers involved, they saw the opportunity to take part in what could have been _the_ groundbreaking scientific development of the century, if the initial results were anything to go by. Perhaps there could have been something like that, if the project hadn't been dismantled in rather…unfortunate circumstances.

All of them went down with the ship, to use a metaphor.

Dr. Blackwell, for the most part, had kept completely silent about his own personal stake in the project. Any attempts from anyone to find out more about that particular subject had always been met with a…less than polite decline. The general had been suspicious, but he had no opportunities to act upon this feeling.

Especially after the project had been shut down, the doctor presumably lost along with the rest of the researchers.

Finally, there was the general himself. He knew the answer once, though that had been a long time ago, right around the time the project had started, in fact.

Now, nearly twenty years later, he wasn't so sure anymore.

"I…I thought that it would serve some greater purpose, that all the atrocities that he had committed would turn out _something_ of value."

He laughed bitterly.

"I had no idea how wrong I was back then."

The doctor let out a small chuckle at that.

"No idea, indeed."

The general had honestly thought that _something_ would come out of this horror. He might have been proven right, had the project lasted any longer. He asked the doctor a question.

"Tell me, how much do you know about the project's fall?"

The man answered simply.

"Only what is in the project files. All they say is that the facility was destroyed in a...'catastrophic accident', if I recall correctly. Of course, I'm fairly certain that there's more to the story than just that."

"You'd be correct in that assumption. To put it simply, Grimm had attacked the facility, right before we lost all contact with them. I was away on another deployment at the time, and when we sent a team over there, the entire area had been leveled."

James frowned as he thought about how…off the entire thing had felt back then. It felt even more suspicious now that he was looking back on it with a much clearer mind.

In the ten years the project had been active, not a single Grimm attack ever occurred, despite the facility's remote location that was far, _far_ removed from any possible assistance.

All the staff on site were rather anxious in the opening weeks, anticipating an attack at potentially any moment. The council had even given the project a rather large security force as a result, yet they saw virtually no action whatsoever.

Of course, such didn't ease their worries, especially once they began their more…objectionable experiments. While the general hadn't been present for them, the reports he received were nothing short of spine-chilling.

' _Red-Blue Dust serum appears to leave subject in alternating states of spontaneous blood combustion followed by rapid freezing. Recommend termination: no further value to project. Also recommend adjusting dosage of Red-Blue Dust serums, or failing that, immediate discontinuation.'_

The general shuddered: that had honestly been one of the _less_ disturbing reports that had crossed his desk.

Just about all the experiments left their subjects in one form of horrific pain or another, making them prime beacons of negativity to attract the Grimm to the facility. For some reason, however, none ever came until that fateful day.

Dr. Blackwell, for his part, had shown just about no concern over the possibility of an attack, dismissing the Grimm as nothing more than minor annoyances. Such did little to help ease the general's suspicions about him.

Beyond that, however, was that the sheer scale of the damage done was _far_ above what any Grimm should've been capable of. Even in the worst of Grimm invasions, there had always been remnants and survivors scattered about here and there.

Not this time, though; _everyone_ had been lost, and the facility itself (as well as much of the surrounding area) had been completely obliterated. How that had happened was a complete mystery.

"You don't honestly think that that alone was enough to wipe the entire project out?"

The general furrowed his brow at that.

"Of course not. _Something_ happened that day, but I have no idea what it could have been."

The doctor frowned slightly, a pensive look over his features.

"I assume you already know that there was at least one survivor from the project?"

"Yes, one Ms. Neopolitan."

How she had made it out alive, he hadn't the slightest clue. The reports _had_ mentioned that she had made quite a few attempts at escape before, not all of them entirely unsuccessful, though none were quite capable of escaping the abomination that was the Ascension Initiative.

Dr. Blackwell had taken an unusual interest in her, specifically making her into his personal guinea pig, of sorts. Something about "breaking her will", and all that.

Regardless, she had outlasted the project that had turned her into what she was, and that provided a very much needed account of what had happened that day.

"She wasn't the only one, you know."

The general raised an eyebrow, a questioning look in his eyes.

"Who else could there possibly be?"

The doctor's expression turned grave.

"One Dr. Onyx Blackwell, of course."

A hint of surprise flashed across the general's expression when he heard that. He replaced it with an unamused look in his eyes.

"I'm not in the mood for jokes, you know."

Dr. Blackwell was dead, he just had to be. He didn't even want to _think_ about the alternatives to that statement.

"I wasn't making one. Do you honestly think that a man like _him_ would just up and die like that?"

The general shook his head. The doctor had made a good point, as much as he hated to admit it.

Dr. Blackwell was not the kind to let something as simple as a Grimm attack, no matter how massive, get the best of him. For all his other…less than desirable traits, he was still unquestionably one of the most brilliant men to have ever lived on Remnant. A simple death like that just didn't seem like the right kind of end for that sort of person.

Of course, that left the question of where he was, and what he had been doing for the past ten years.

"Very well. Suppose that he _did_ survive the project's end. Where did he go, and more importantly, where is he _now_?"

Dr. Thalon merely shook his head.

"That's not exactly a question that I'd know the answer to, unfortunately. However, I _could_ hazard a guess about what he done with all his research under the project."

The general narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"There _is_ no research. All of it was lost when the project was shut down. Dr. Blackwell had been _very_ insistent on keeping the data for himself for 'personal review' before submitting any of it to us."

"And you _let_ him?"

"We had no choice; he threatened to abandon the project entirely if we didn't comply."

A hint of bitterness crossed the general's expression.

"It would have been better if he just did. Nothing that could've come out of that…abomination would've ever been worth all the horrors done just to make it happen."

He shook that thought aside; that was all in the past, and he had to attend to the present.

"In any case, you were saying, doctor?"

The man's brow furrowed slightly as he continued on with his statement from before.

"Like I said, I had an idea of what he did with the research data, and what you just told me has just about confirmed my suspicions."

"And what exactly would they be?"

"Why, the good doctor took all the data and ran, of course. I say he left the entire project to rot as he took anything and _everything_ of value that he could carry with him, destroying everything else to leave you people with nothing but one massive mess to clean up."

The general went silent; he couldn't deny the possibility, and he most certainly wasn't going to doubt that a man like Dr. Blackwell would be capable of doing such a thing. Such left a bitter taste in his mouth.

If this had been his plan the entire time, then they had just wasted ten years' worth of resources and personnel to a very, _very_ dangerous man that had played them all for fools, blinding them with promises of results, ones that well and truly would have changed the face of Remnant. All the while, he was preparing to use them for his own purposes, whatever they may have been.

A dark thought occurred to him.

That had all happened over 10 years ago. If he was still alive now, then they had certainly heard nothing of it.

In that case…he was entirely free to act as he pleased, far away from their prying eyes, or for that matter, any sort of oversight from just about anyone.

A chilling prospect, given what the general had seen of the man in his short ten years of working with him.

Dr. Thalon gave a laugh, slight and filled with bitterness.

"Your silence is all the answer I need, general. I believe that's all I need to hear." He stood up from his seat, a small smile on his features. "Thank you for your time, and if I recall correctly, I believe that you're free to go."

He outstretched a hand. After a moment's hesitation, the general took it and shook firmly. A quick flash of surprise appeared on the doctor's expression, like he had just remembered something he had forgotten earlier.

"Oh, and one last thing, general."

The general raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Yes?"

He pulled out a scroll from his pocket, holding it in one hand and pointing quite firmly at it with the other.

"Don't lose the scroll that James gave you earlier. It really _is_ going to be our only contact with you once you leave this place."

The general made a mental note to himself about that. He'd make sure to keep it in a safe place once he made it back to Atlas.

Speaking of which…

"Exactly how _do_ I make my way out of here, again?"

The doctor laughed heartily as he pocketed his scroll.

"You know something? Someone else needed help on their way out, too."

He walked to the door, gesturing for the general to follow him.

"Come on, I'll show you the way out, and I'll even give you a few pointers on the right direction back home."

The general nodded, falling into step with the doctor as they made their way out of the cell block and into the main building. They made their way through the corridors, eventually ending up in what looked like a large hangar, of sorts.

It had been filled with various types aircraft, some of which he recognized as the standard Atlesian military gunship. That had certainly drawn the general's eye, and the doctor seemed to pick up on this.

"Don't mind these, general. Just a few…acquisitions we made recently. You're not the only one we have planted in the military, after all."

He grew rather…suspicious of that, to say the least, though he hid it carefully behind a mask of calm. He didn't particularly like the thought of _his_ men going behind his back, but at least they were doing it for what seemed to be the right cause, so he supposed that they could get off lightly.

Well, lighter than usual.

"Can I assume that these… _acquired_ gunships will handle like they normally would?"

He resisted the urge to say "stolen", no easy feat, given the way the word just barely played its way across the tip of his tongue, practically wanting to escape his lips.

The doctor shrugged in response.

"Probably. I'm not actually the guy that runs this place, to be honest, though I _do_ have the clearance to let you take one of these things back to Vale."

The general nodded, making his way over to the entry bay doors on one of the gunships and settling himself into the pilot's seat not long after.

From the looks of it, there didn't appear to be anything out of place over the console. He didn't plan on trying his luck on anything more than the bare essentials, anyways.

He looked out of the gunship's windows, Dr. Thalon giving him the universal signal for "go", a finger pointed out towards the hangar doors.

The general gave a nod of acknowledgement before turning his attention to the gunship's control console, letting years of training take over as his hands started moving on their own on pure muscle memory, the gunship taking off not a moment after.

In a few moments, he was out of the hangar, and into the open skies. Off in the distance, he could see Vale, setting the city as the destination and putting the ship on autopilot as he pulled out the scroll they had given him, inspecting it carefully.

At first glance, it looked like just about any other scroll, practically nothing in particular standing out about it. A closer look, however, showed that the device had been custom made, built with Dust-infused alloys likely designed with maximum durability in mind. The screen had seemingly been made from glass meant for bulletproof windows; not exactly the easiest thing to break, to say the least.

If that was what he could see on the outside, then he couldn't wait to see what was on the inside.

Not a moment after he thought that, the scroll ringed, and he picked up the call with the press of a button. Dr. Thalon's voice crackled over the speaker.

"Hello? You hearing this, general?"

"Yes, doctor. I can hear you just fine."

"Good. Looks like James didn't give you one of the broken ones. Anyways, remember, don't go losing that scroll, alright? It has some rather…sensitive information locked inside, which, by the way, you won't be able to access, at least not for right now."

He made another mental note to make _absolutely certain_ that this scroll would end up in a secure place once he made it back. Even if he couldn't access whatever data the scroll had himself, there wasn't any need for anyone else to try doing the same as well.

"I can assure you, I won't lose it."

"Good. Remember, just go about your business as usual like this never happened, and we'll eventually give you the call through this scroll, alright?"

"Yes, doctor."

"Alright, then. Fly safely, general."

With that, the doctor ended the call, the general pocketing the scroll and returning his attention to the control console as he manually took control over the gunship, steadily steering it on a straight course for Vale.

Meanwhile, his thoughts were focused elsewhere, pondering all that he had just learned over the last few hours or so.

First and foremost, Ozpin clearly hadn't been joking when he said that there were much greater things at work here than just what their little group was doing. He had always been suspicious, but Oz never told him any more than what he needed to know, which always seemed to teeter between "barely anything" to "nothing at all".

He shook his head, frustrated at that. At least these people had been a bit more…open with their secrets, at least when put next to Beacon's headmaster.

Secondly, it appeared that he had some cleaning house to do, if Dr. Thalon's off-hand remarks about them having agents in his army were anything to go by. At least they weren't committing outright treason, at least not in the spirit of the word. That would probably go a long way towards them winning back his trust, once he found out who had done so.

Finally, memories of the Ascension Initiative were flooding back, dominating his thoughts as he pondered where one Dr. Blackwell could have gone to, and what he could have been doing. Nothing good, most definitely.

Then there came the matter of finding the man himself, no easy task, if they had failed to find any trace of him for over 10 years. Atlesian intelligence was one of the best in the world of Remnant, after all, and it had long been boasted that anything they couldn't find simply didn't exist.

A familiar feeling came over him, one he typically got in response to a sudden increase in his workload. It appeared that he would have _a lot_ of work to do once he made it back.

He sighed tiredly.

' _Just another day at the office, then….'_

* * *

Alerak, the Hallowed Defiler

Alerak was calm. Kordor was decidedly _not_ calm. Ariak, meanwhile, was merely watching the two of them argue with the occasional dry comment thrown in here and there whenever it amused her.

" **Is this really what we've been reduced to!? Consorting with humans like her!?"**

Ariak laughed with mirth in her voice, interjecting before Alerak could make any statements.

" **Now, now Kor, you know just as much as the rest of us that this Salem is most definitely** _ **not**_ **human, at least not anymore."**

Kordor growled underneath his breath; he hated that name, or at least, he hated it whenever Ariak used it.

" **I** _ **am**_ **aware of that, Ariak! She may carry the taint of the Grimm upon her, but it matters not in the end!** _ **We**_ **were the ones that ruled this accursed world once! We shall rule it again, and we do** _ **not**_ **need the likes of her to do it!"**

Alerak glared at his fellow primal, a look of disappointment in his eyes.

" **Kordor. Enough of your prattle. Salem has her uses to us, and I can assure you that the moment her usefulness to our plans ends, so too does her life."**

Kordor bared his teeth, barely containing the rage boiling within, though he knew better than to draw the ire of the Hallowed Defiler, at least to a point.

" **If you say so, Alerak. However, I will** _ **relish**_ **that moment when it comes, and my hounds are always so hungry…"**

Ariak huffed indignantly, an accusing look in her eyes.

" **Kor! You know my little ones always love new toys!** _ **I**_ **should be the one to have her! I'm sure her screams and wails will be positively** _ **delightful**_ **to hear…"**

Alerak sighed internally. Somehow, he always found himself stuck between these two as they bickered.

Kordor's incredibly volatile temper didn't particularly mix well with Ariak's rather playful disposition, unfortunately. At least they knew when to keep their respective quirks in check, with a little bit of prodding, anyways.

He made the distinctive sound of him clearing his throat (granted, he didn't actually have one, but he knew how to emulate the noise), and both of them immediately ceased their prattle, turning their eyes towards him.

" **I will be the one to decide her fate once her use to us has ended. Both of you will get your piece, I promise."**

Kordor nodded slowly, not quite satisfied but not willing to press the issue any further. Ariak merely chuckled, her eyes brightening as she no doubt anticipated what she would do with their newest…associate once she outlived her usefulness.

" **Now then, on to an even more pressing matter**."

Kordor narrowed his eyes at him, an unusual calm in them as he spoke carefully.

" **You could smell it on her too, couldn't you?"**

Alerak nodded, causing a slight grin to spread across Kordor's features.

" **I knew I wasn't the only one.** _ **His**_ **scent isn't something you can just forget about, after all."**

They had all caught a very particular scent on her, and not one of them believed it meant anything good. A deathly silence had overtaken the cavern, eerily quiet as they were all lost in thought.

A chilling calmness had overtaken Kordor when he first recognized it for what it was. Ariak, meanwhile, had gone uncharacteristically silent, no hint of her usual lightheartedness. Alerak, for his part, remained mostly calm, his mind pondering just what the implications behind this discovery were.

Kordor was the first to speak, and he did so in a careful, measured tone.

" **That old fool is still alive, isn't he?"**

Ariak responded, her tone grave.

" **As unfortunate as that may sound, yes."**

Alerak didn't particularly like what that implied. He spoke with apprehension in his voice.

" **Kazok…that old ram is playing his games again, isn't he?"**

The other two nodded gravely. Recollection flashed in their eyes, all the way back to the Grimm wars of old, and all of them shuddered silently to themselves as they each recalled their own experiences with the ram primal.

 _Kazok, the Wicked Tongue._

All of them had rather…chilling memories of the elder primal. Even now, said memories were still fresh in their minds, despite the untold millennia that had passed since then.

Kazok was _not_ the sort of horror that one could just forget, after all.

He drew the unwary in with his false charms, affability disguising an insidiously dangerous cunning, one that knew exactly how to exploit any openings his opponents showed him.

What truly made him dangerous, however, was sheer unpredictability. Insane was the word that described him best, at least to those that only knew the seemingly contradictory horror that was Kazok, the Wicked Tongue.

Alerak knew better than that; the ram was most certainly unhinged, compared to his fellows, but behind it all stood a _frighteningly_ perceptive mind that knew just the right balance between method and madness to make both as effective as possible.

Many a foolish primal had met their end against his seemingly nonsensical ploys, carefully calculated to defy all conventional logic while still being deceptively effective in the end. Sick and twisted, these ploys were, small, almost innocuous details only hinting at the horror that was to come.

Alerak himself had barely made it out of the sinister ram's clutches with his life that one time. It started with minor happenings, a lost village here, a mysterious attack there, easy enough to play off as nothing more than mere coincidence. He had certainly paid it no more mind than he would've any other encroachment upon his territory. Such was a mistake that he had sworn to never repeat again.

It escalated mere days after that, the strange occurrences coming with ever increasing frequency, all logic and sense disappearing as reality itself seemed to weep at whatever the ram had been doing. Alerak had finally taken action, but he could not find a single trace of the ram that sought his head, not until it was too late.

Someway, somehow, Kazok had slipped right under his notice, infiltrated his own home without him being any the wiser. He barely made it out of _that_ experience alive; and he would never forget the look the ram's eyes had given him as he fled in defeat.

Those eyes...there was just something fundamentally _wrong_ about them. Alerak had only looked into them for a split second, yet that single look had managed to instill a primal terror in him that he hadn't felt in ages.

Fear was the ram's stock and trade, and he was truly the best in the business, so to speak. The sheer dissonance between his cheerful demeanor and chilling brutality only further enhanced the horrific image.

Based off the pale looks the other two were giving him, Alerak was certain that his fellows weren't going to doubt how Kazok's continued existence would spell very dark tidings for their futures.

A chilling thought just occurred to them.

Whatever ploys he had orchestrated back then had been terrifying enough. What did that mean for the ploys that he could have going on right _now_?

They shuddered at the prospect.

" **Kordor, Ariak, keep your eyes open for any and** _ **all**_ **things that could even slightly point us in Kazok's direction. Until then, do** _ **not**_ **let your guards down, even for a moment."**

They both nodded in agreement. At this point, the best they could do was stay hidden, waiting to see where the ram would make his first move and reacting accordingly.

In the meanwhile, they had other matters to attend to.

" **Now then, we appear to have a rather…pressing situation in Vale, from what Raven has told us."**

" **You are referring to that upstart An'Trok's death, aren't you?"**

Alerak nodded: while they weren't lying when they said that An'Trok's untimely demise would ultimately mean little in the grand scheme of things, that didn't mean that his death _didn't_ have any sort of aftershocks that came with it.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

The local Grimm in the area were terrified, as ridiculous as such a thing seemed to them. _Something_ had instilled fear in mindless abominations, and they were quite curious as to what could have possibly done that. It didn't help that a majority of the Grimm in the area had been killed in their frenzied invasion of Vale, either.

" **His death leaves a void in the region. The local Grimm refuse to go anywhere near the city, as well."**

Raven had mentioned something about a voice that was assaulting the city, some sort of… _thing_ that existed everywhere, yet nowhere at the same time. Whatever it was, it had devoured most of the Grimm attacking the city whole, both in mind and body. They'd have to keep a wary eye on whatever this…thing was.

Alerak had his suspicions, but he didn't intend to act on them just yet, not until he had more to work with, anyways.

Kordor, ever focused on humanity's destruction, spoke up in an angry tone.

" **This cannot stand, Alerak! Without the Grimm to press into their borders, the humans will be given room to rebuild, to strengthen themselves against us!"**

Alerak leveled a glare at the Kordor, the fuming wolf calming ever so slightly, waiting for his response.

" **It will** _ **not**_ **stand, Kordor. However, we cannot afford to reveal ourselves just yet. Our plans have not yet reached that point, and I doubt that they will anytime soon."**

Kordor scoffed at his words. Ariak, however, had a contemplative look in her eyes, something that Alerak questioned her on rather quickly.

" **Do you have to something to say, Ariak?"**

A brief flash of surprise appeared in her eyes before she recomposed herself.

" **Oh, just a thought, really."**

He looked at her with narrowed eyes, expectant.

" **Go on."**

She voiced her thoughts, not quite sure about them, based off of the uncertainty in her tone.

" **Perhaps we could…entice someone** _ **else**_ **to make an appearance for us? Remind the humans of the true might of the primal Grimm without dirtying our own hands?"**

Alerak contemplated the idea for a moment, wondering who would be a suitable candidate for such a ploy. Kordor was considering the motion as well, an idea flashing in his eyes not a moment later. Both of them looked at the wolf Grimm expectantly, waiting for his answer.

" **I do wonder…is Borr still alive? That fool would be** _ **perfect**_ **for this sort of thing."**

Ariak took a split second to register Kordor's words before she laughed heartily at his suggestion.

" **What a wonderful idea! He never was a bright one, either. He really** _ **would**_ **be perfect for this!"**

Alerak kept his calm, despite her enthusiasm, pondering just how to carry this sort of ploy out.

They'd have to find their fellow primal first, though such probably wouldn't be difficult. Borr was a brash, headstrong fool, and subtlety was a lost concept to a primal like him. Finding him would be a simple matter of following the scent of blood and death.

Convincing him would be even easier. For all his bluster, he was easily cowed by his elders, and all of them had well over several millennia on him.

Alerak turned to Ariak, nodding his approval of her proposal.

" **I will search for him. Such shouldn't take very long."**

He then turned to Kordor, who had a dark gleam in his eyes.

" **As for you, Kordor, get ready to meet him when I find him. You will be the one to draw him to Vale. Use whatever means you see fit."**

Kordor nodded, a grin spreading across his features as be bared his fangs in anticipation.

" **I look forward to it…"**

With that, the wolf began to head back into his section of the mountain, a trail of dull crimson blood marking his exit. Ariak did the same, laughing darkly on her way out.

Alerak, meanwhile, began reaching his mind out to his Nevermores, which he kept spread across virtually all of the hidden corners of Remnant. They served as his eyes and ears, of sorts, and they would serve him well in finding the primal he was looking for.

Telepathically ordering each of the Nevermores to keep a close eye out for the missing primal, he then ordered one Nevermore in particular to keep a close watch on Salem: no need to let someone like her out of his sights.

With that done, he began making his way into his own section of the mountain, leading him high into tunnels that had been carved into the mountain's peak.

As he made his way through, he felt a hint of anticipation building inside him. He indulged it, giving himself this short opportunity to enjoy the moment. A dark thought played across his mind, one that all three of them were sharing without knowing it.

' _It won't be long now…'_

They all were feeling some level of excitement in the heat of the moment. Ariak above the rest of them, of course, but the other two were certainly willing to admit that they were looking forward to what was to come.

After all, Vale would be witnessing yet another invasion soon, one that would put the previous one to complete and utter shame.

Right now, it was just a matter of time.

* * *

AN: Well, looks like dark forces are gathering, aren't they? Looks like Vale isn't safe just yet.

The three primals were quite an interesting trio to write. Kordor and Ariak were fun characters, and putting Alerak as the one to moderate between the two of them was quite entertaining for me personally as a writer. None of this should undercut their threat, of course; something that you guys will see once we get to the second invasion of Vale.

Meanwhile, we've created a bit more background to two villains. The ram (henceforth named Kazok, the Wicked Tongue) is quite a far cry from the jovial old man he portrayed himself as earlier, isn't he? Keep an eye out for him, as he's got his own plans going, ones that may not necessarily coincide with the plans of his fellow primals.

In addition, we've got a bit more of a look at Richard Fall and the Ascension Initiative. There's still quite a few mysteries associated with the project, but that'll be addressed once we delve a bit deeper into Neo's backstory. Meanwhile, however, it appears that Richard is meeting with Salem about something. What could it be? Find out next chapter.

Thank you very much for reading, hopefully you guys enjoyed it. If you are so inclined, please don't hesitate to leave a review stating what you thought or to send any questions you have my way. Thanks again, and stay safe.


	16. Chapter 16: A Brief Calm

AN: Hello, and welcome back to Fall, Rise, Fall!

It's been…a very long time since this has been updated, hasn't it? Almost six whole months, if I recall correctly. I can't exactly say much, other than sorry, so…sorry about that! I won't even waste any time with an excuse (primarily because I honestly have none to speak of), so instead let's get right into the chapter, shall we?

So with that in mind, without any further ado, I present chapter 16 of Fall, Rise, Fall. Enjoy.

* * *

James Raau

' _Hm…not here…not there…how about here?'_

James was looking for Robert, wherever the man had decided to run off to after taking one general Ironwood to David's hangar and sending him on his way.

The various files he had collected were kept neatly tucked away inside his red coat, full of the various notes he had written down on Cinder's pawns.

More importantly, however, they contained his final recommendations regarding their recruitment.

All of them had passed, if only barely. Then again, he couldn't exactly blame them for that. Life hadn't dealt them a particularly kind hand, after all, and it was almost a miracle that some of them were even able to function at all.

They all looked largely fine on the surface, which was true, at least to an extent. Of course, looking behind the exterior revealed a much different story.

Mercury Black, the son of an assassin, raised on a foundation of fear and distrust. Killing was the only pleasure he was ever allowed, and he was all too eager to take it, desperate for _something_ that could offer him a measure of comfort, if only in brief, fleeting moments.

Eventually, he murdered his own father once he finally had enough of the older man's drunken rages, putting the skills that the man had taught him to good use.

Then Cinder found him, his father's corpse lying coldly on the ground mere feet away from him as their home went up in flames.

Ever the survivalist, he wasn't going to defy the woman that could quite literally incinerate him with a thought: all he asked in return for his service was a chance to satisfy his sick pleasures. She had been all too happy to give it to him, and it wasn't long before he found himself living a life soaked with the blood of the innocent.

If he had ever known pleasure in anything other than killing once, he certainly didn't anymore.

At least, that's how it used to be, until just recently.

Whatever the Presence had done to him when it brought him in, it just might have pushed him close enough to the edge of realization, close enough to see just how far he'd fallen.

At least now, he would get a chance to something better with himself.

Raau could only hope that he'd take it.

The same could be said for his partner, in truth. Even more so for her case, in fact.

Emerald Sustrai, a lost rat that made her home in the forgotten alleys and streets of Vale, plucked away from her old life and into a living hell that saw only starving, sleepless nights. Day in and day out, survival was a matter of if she could steal her next meal, by any means necessary. It wasn't always through stealing, either. At least those men had been kind to her, compared to what most could expect, anyways.

She was desperate, always searching for something, _anything_ that would get her out of this, and she didn't care for the cost.

Well, at least not until it was too late to repay it.

Cinder didn't exactly give her a fair trade, after all, and there was no such thing as backing out of a deal with a dangerous woman like her.

" _Don't think. Obey."_

Three words was all it took.

Someway, somehow, she had convinced herself that giving up _everything_ to Cinder was more than worth the prospect of escaping the hell that was her life on the streets.

He couldn't exactly blame her for doing so, of course, but the thought still left a sour taste in James' mouth.

A life like that, one where your every action (or at least every _meaningful_ one) was no longer your own, did nothing but send a chilling rage over him. He unconsciously clenched his fist at the mere thought of it.

Life was a beautiful thing, and James wouldn't give it up for anything else. He had seen how no one life was ever truly the same, how everyone had their own choices to make, their own actions to take. Behind every soul laid a story, some wonderful, some tragic, some in between. He had read many of these stories, and he drew only one clear conclusion from this experience.

Each person was truly their own individual, and there was a subtle, yet welcoming comfort in that fact. The human mind, for all its faults and failings, held something truly fascinating in its uniqueness. He didn't bother to learn the more…physical nature of such a statement (something like that was much better suited for David's particular set of skills), but he knew full well about it on a much deeper level, one that went beyond the neural synapses and pathways.

No two souls he had ever seen were truly alike: each was a wonderful cacophony of hopes, dreams, fears, concerns, and so on. All of that was bound together by one thing, and one thing only: individuality.

To see it all taken away, to see the one great thing that all humans had ripped away in such a manner…well.

James wasn't typically one to let his own personal issues cloud his judgement, but this was truly something else. It was a good thing that Cinder wasn't herself when she had done this, or else she might have been looking at a very… _unpleasant_ side of him that he generally kept tightly locked away in the back of his mind by now.

He sighed tiredly.

No one was to blame here, and he knew that fact all too well. There would be no target, no thing to pin all the guilt on, at least not yet: the King was seeing to finding the real culprits behind all of this, and James was certain that it would only be a matter of time.

Until then, however, all they could do was pick up the pieces and hope to rebuild.

At least they were making progress, however marginal it might have been.

James picked up his pace, working his way through the corridors. Still no sign of Robert, of course.

Instead, however, he found himself staring face-to-face (well, _mask_ ) with one Dr. David Ryder, who was just making his way out of the room they were keeping Cinder in, his attention focused on the scroll tablet in his gloved hands.

"David."

The doctor's glowing eye blinked once before he responded in his usual monotone voice.

"James…are you looking for Robert?"

He nodded, pulling out the files he kept under his coat and gesturing to them as he did so.

"He'll be needing these reports as soon as possible, as boring as they might be."

An electronic _clicking_ noise came from the masked doctor, which was the closest thing to a chuckle one could ever get out of him, at least in James' experience.

"Dust knows he hates going through them…he was never one to prefer a desk job."

James chuckled at that, a light smirk playing across his features.

"Well, I like to think that none of us signed on to this just to file some paperwork. We have plenty of bigger things to worry about than that, you know."

David nodded in agreement, his attention returning briefly to the tablet in his hands before he responded.

"That we do, James...that we do."

He took a look behind him over his shoulder, and by some random stroke of luck, he caught a glimpse of Robert just rounding the corner before vanishing from sight again.

Quickly muttering a hurried goodbye to the masked doctor, James took off with a renewed pace, trying to catch up with Robert in the corridors before he vanished into thin air again.

It wasn't long before he caught up, the man in question taking a brief moment to look behind his shoulder and noticing James walking up to him as a result.

Turning around to face him, Robert spoke in an expectant tone.

"James, do you have something for me?"

Quickly pulling out the files from his coat and holding them out for the man to take, he answered in a somewhat…bemused tone.

"You're a really hard man to find sometimes, you know that, Robert?"

The doctor merely responded with a quiet chuckle as he took the offered files in his hands.

"I've been told that before, James. And no, it doesn't bother me in the slightest."

Robert eyed the reports carefully, his gaze reading every line with utmost care and precision as he quickly worked his way through each page, turning his attention on James once he was finished.

"So…you think they're ready for what's to come, correct?"

James fell silent for a moment, a contemplative look cross his features, an answer coming out not long after.

"I do. I'm not saying they're perfect, far from it, really…"

That was an understatement, to say the least. From what he had seen of them, they were all in need of some serious help, most of it on a level they didn't even know they needed it on.

"…but I fully believe that they can help us just as much as we can help them."

James wasn't going to give up on them if he could help it. That went against everything he stood for, and he'd be _damned_ before he let them give up on themselves, as well.

Robert gave a satisfied nod, deferring to his colleague's judgement.

"If you say so, James. I'll get this sorted out as soon as possible."

The doctor gave a slight chuckle.

"Oh, and thanks for taking care of this for me."

James laughed in response, a smirk playing across his features.

"Thanks for doing _your_ work for you? Sure."

Robert's expression lowered a bit at that.

"Sorry about that. I'll try to make it up to you later, alright?"

James waved the offer off, more than understanding of Robert's reasons for doing so.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure you had more than enough trouble with Mr. Torchwick and Ms. Neo…speaking of which, how did that go?"

A sigh escaped the doctor's lips, the man muttering something to himself with a tired expression on his features.

"…mostly well…and I emphasize _mostly_."

James already knew what _that_ meant, unfortunately. He gave a sigh of his own, asking a question he already knew the answer to.

"More work for us, am I right?"

Robert didn't respond, a contemplative look on his features. That was more than enough for James to know that now wasn't exactly a good time.

"Well, if you ever need me for anything, Robert, you know where to look."

With that, James took his leave, turning around and heading back towards the cell block, Robert giving an absentminded goodbye as he continued on with whatever he was doing.

He made his way through the corridors quickly, his pace hurried and his thoughts focused elsewhere.

After all, he had a promise to a certain green-haired thief to keep.

* * *

Salem

"…so what brings you here, Richard?"

The man responded curtly.

"I have held to my end of our little arrangement, Salem. I expect the same from you."

She nodded, the circumstances surrounding their bargain coming back to her in her mind.

Richard Fall, a mysterious man with no past, or at least that's what he liked to pass himself off as these days: she knew plenty about the man behind the myth.

His rather…sordid history mattered little to her, of course. She was no stranger to performing horrors that could drive men mad.

One day, he had come to her with an offer, an offer that she was all too eager to accept.

He would help her in bringing Alerak, Kordor, and Ariak into her plans, and she would help him find something that he was looking for.

What it was, she didn't know yet, but she was certain that it wasn't going to be a simple affair. Nothing ever was with a man like him.

His assistance had proven valuable nonetheless, of course. Whatever risks there were in fulfilling her own end of their bargain, the benefits she stood to gain from having him were far more valuable.

Whatever else could be said about him, he knew much about the Grimm, among other dark secrets that some would say were best left unknown, some of which even _she_ knew little about.

She'd have to tread carefully around him, like always. Everyone had their own agendas, herself included, and their cooperation was more or less a case of both sides simply using each other for their own ends. She could only hope that she had gotten more out of their deal in the end than he did.

In any case, his help has been indispensable in tracking down the primals, as well as in gathering every piece of information she could about them. Without him, they would have eluded her reach for far longer than they did, and she just _hated_ it when potential threats were out of her sights, a place where they could undermine her without her even noticing.

There was no way she'd let _that_ continue. She had spent far too long building up to see all her efforts be torn down for being careless.

Her gaze turned to Richard, his amber eyes looking at her expectantly.

"You will get what you want in due time, Richard. All I ask is that you be just a little more…patient."

He growled slightly, an annoyed response coming out not long after.

"Fine."

She chuckled lightly, knowing full well that he wouldn't try anything _too_ out of turn with her: her help was far more vital to him than his was to her, after all.

"Come now, Richard…just think of this as a… _extension_ of our partnership, at least for a little while."

He didn't sound very amused when he responded, and his expression spoke of nothing but silent contempt and frustration.

"Just don't forget what you promised me, Salem."

Oh, she wouldn't…especially not when she took it from him when his guard was lowered. People like him, they always had that tendency to revel in their victories at the worst of times…the perfect moment for their downfall to come.

"Of course not, Richard. You have my word…"

He huffed in annoyance, mumbling something to himself before asking her something else.

"So, what now?"

She hummed thoughtfully, pondering just what their next course of action should be…no need to remain idle, after all.

Her thoughts turned to the primals she had just met with earlier…wondering what uses she could have for them.

An idea flashed in her mind, one that brought a dark smile on her features.

Vale was almost certainly left in a rather… _precarious_ position after the Grimm invasion it had endured. An opportunity like this was _not_ the sort of thing that would evade her eyes, let alone those of the primals.

Kordor, ever driven in his bloodlust, would almost certainly push for a renewed effort against the weakened kingdom, a major victory for Grimm everywhere should such an effort succeed…and the fall of one kingdom would mean dealing a crippling blow to the remaining three.

Alerak wouldn't allow any overt actions, but even he couldn't let an opportunity like this escape his grasp. That left the question of just what he would do instead.

Whatever they had planned, she was certain that it would spell the end of a kingdom, should it be left unanswered.

She chuckled darkly to herself: she cared little for their petty games, in all honesty…they would all burn one way or another when all was said and done. Who was she to care about who went first?

On the other hand, she certainly wasn't going to let an opportunity like _this_ slip her grasp...not a chance.

Why not let them fight each other, _weaken_ each other? Any strength they lost fighting amongst themselves was strength they wouldn't bring to bear against her, and she saw no reason to make things harder for herself.

She smiled, a dark thought occurring to her: she knew just how to make that happen. Moreover, she knew just the right _person_ to do it…

"Richard, can I ask a favor of you?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, a calculating look in his cold amber eyes. He spoke in a measured tone.

"What is it, Salem?"

She chose her next few words carefully: no need to let Richard think that she _needed_ his help. Such would weaken her position against him, and she certainly couldn't let him think that he had the upper hand in their little game here.

"You are aware of the situation in Vale, yes?"

He answered plainly, his eyes focused on directly on her as they looked for any signs of deceit, which they both knew were at play here.

"I am. Why do you ask?"

She chuckled internally to herself, a dangerous, yet barely visible glint behind her crimson red eyes.

"Then you know just as well as I do that the primals aren't going to let them recover…they will strike now, when their defenses are weakest, and there has been no better opportunity than this one for centuries."

His expression didn't change in the slightest as he responded.

"Get to the point, Salem. What makes you think that I would care about any of this? The kingdoms…they can all burn, as far as I'm concerned."

No more beating around the bush, she supposed. She didn't care for these word games all that much, anyways.

"Very well, Richard...I want you to call in the favors that I _know_ you have with Atlas and bring their full military might to defending Vale."

Simple and direct…the way she preferred to do these sort of things, in all honesty. A pity she couldn't do it this way more often.

He narrowed his eyes dangerously at her, his amber eyes betraying only the slightest hint of cold rage, buried beneath his veneer of calm calculation.

"So…you would have them weaken themselves against each other, correct?"

She only nodded quietly as he continued on.

"Fair enough, I suppose…but what makes you think I would ever want to help you in this?"

Oh, bother…she knew what was coming next.

"What could I _possibly_ stand to gain from this?"

And there it was. Nothing was free on this world…and Richard wanted his fair payment for services rendered. She could always give him something, of course…it wasn't like he would be keeping it for very long, anyways.

She almost sighed… how troublesome. Necessary, admittedly, but _oh so_ troublesome.

"I could give you many things, Richard…all I ask is that you do this for me in return."

His eyes went back to their cold calm, most likely from pondering his options at this point. He spoke quickly, never taking his eyes off of her as he did so.

"That _something_ I was looking for earlier? That will only be the first…and you, Salem, will lend me your help the _entire_ way through…"

His eyes narrowed, a hint of annoyance in them.

"It is only fair, you understand."

Outwardly, she gave him only a dark grin in response, her eyes as cool and calm as an Atlesian winter, a façade she had practiced for decades.

Internally, however, she was feeling rather…annoyed, in truth. The price she paid for a favor, she supposed. The thought didn't make her feel any better, really, though it did calm her ever so slightly, at least enough that she could keep from chuckling outwardly at the offer.

Still, she supposed it wasn't _too_ problematic…if nothing else, it meant that she could see just what he had in mind for whatever he was looking for, and react accordingly. Whatever it was, it would be much more prudent to keep in close and in her sights than out of it.

She bowed her head slightly, her words honeyed and carefully chosen.

"I understand completely, Richard…if that is what you wish, then you will have it."

Indeed he would…if only for a moment. She wasn't going to let him keep it for any longer than absolutely necessary before she claimed it for herself.

He kept his eye on her for a moment before nodding in acceptance, though there were still clear signs of suspicion in his eyes.

"Very well then, Salem. I'll see what I can do with your…request."

She bowed her head respectfully, just low enough that he couldn't see the dark smile that was playing across her features.

"That is all I can ask of you, Richard...I'm sure you won't… _disappoint_."

She put the barest hint of threat in her tones behind that last word, something that she was certain that Richard caught on to, at least from the way his eyes narrowed at her as she said that. He didn't seem to pay it any further concern, though, merely giving a barely audible sigh before responding.

"Well, if that's all you have for me, Salem, then it looks like we're done here."

She gave no further response, merely nodding her head to confirm. With that, he turned around and began walking back into the thick forest he came from, wordlessly slipping away into the night.

She chuckled quietly to herself once she was certain he was gone: that had gone better than she could have hoped for, in all honesty. While she was none too thrilled about the prospect of having to work with Richard beyond what they had initially agreed upon, it would've been far worse for her to simply leave him be once their little agreement had run its course. This way, she could keep him in her sights, and she always preferred a known threat to an unknown threat.

Besides, she was quite certain that she would be getting far more out of this deal than he ever would…especially with the favor he was doing her.

Whatever the primals were planning to do with Vale, she was more than certain that her own plans were more than flexible enough to turn this development to her advantage. The Grimm would attack Vale, Richard would bring in Atlas to defend the kingdom…and both would come out the losers when all was done.

Already, the events were playing out in her mind…it wouldn't be long before the weakened kingdom bore witness to a conflict that made the battles of the Great War look downright _paltry_ in comparison.

She smiled as she gazed up at the stars, anticipation building inside her as she took in the glowing lights amidst the endless expanse of darkness. Even with her decades of practice waiting for her plans to bear fruit, she couldn't help but let her excitement show itself...

After all, in a few days, she was almost certainly in for _quite_ a spectacle.

* * *

Robert Thalon

Robert made his way through the corridors, the file that James had handed him earlier tucked safely away in his coat pocket for later reading.

That would come later, of course. For the moment, he had other matters to attend to. The small briefcase he was carrying in one of his hands was testament to that.

As he walked towards his destination, his thoughts turned towards the rather…enlightening discussion he had with the general earlier.

Richard Fall…Onyx Blackwell…whatever else that vile man preferred to call himself these days, all that truly mattered was that he was, first and foremost, still alive, and almost equally as important, just as dangerous as he was before, if not even more so.

The Ascension Initiative was proof enough of that: whatever Richard had intended to gain from that failed project, he had gained it with near flawless ease, considering how well he had played the Atlesian council and military for utter fools. Even the few people that could've put a stop to him at the time, such as the good general, were left in no position to do so in the first place for one reason or another (a convenient advantage that Richard had created for himself, no doubt).

Regardless, that still left the question of exactly what Richard had even sought to gain from his involvement in the project in the first place, to say nothing of what he could've done with it in the years following the project's untimely end.

Robert had his suspicions from the moment he first heard of the project's particular area of research, and everything General Ironwood told him had all but confirmed it.

Dust augmentation…a very dangerous practice that, to some, was better left outlawed and forgotten in the name of safety. Of course, such concerns mattered little to the countless enterprising individuals, Richard included, that sought to unlock the secrets of Dust on the human (or Faunus) body. Robert was quite aware of how even he himself skirted a very fine line in his own work, though he did his best to steer away from the more…questionable aspects of his particular field of research.

A man like Richard, on the other hand, had significantly less self-restraint (and moral compunctions).

Even now, he was still pursuing his accursed quest of immortality…his involvement in the Ascension Initiative likely intended to be nothing more than another stepping stone on a very long and bloody road with no destination.

At least, not one that a man like _him_ could ever hope to achieve…Robert himself still had only a faint idea of how his particular Dust serum worked for him, and him alone. Richard's horrific experiments trying to recreate it were proof enough that something like _this_ was better left untouched.

His belief to the contrary was a mistake unto its own, one that only led to yet more mistakes, each proving more horrific than the last. Robert shuddered at the thought of what else that man could have done in all the years since that fateful day they had buried him under his own laboratory and left him to rot.

Robert had seen his fair share of sleepless nights before, all of them courtesy of his disgraced protégé and the atrocities he had committed.

To think that Robert once called a man like _that_ a friend…the mere thought disgusted him to no end.

He shook the thought off, continuing his trudging pace through the corridors before coming upon a largely non-descript door, save for a red line painted across the center, marking the room behind it as what could be considered the closest thing this facility had to a guest room (in actuality, it was more or less a converted prison cell with slightly better furnishings…David always did prefer function over form, or in this case, efficiency over comfort.).

Walking through it, he entered a simple room, furnished modestly to accommodate two occupants, one of whom was lying down on a bed, the other sitting down on a chair next to a table, his eyes focused squarely on the door and, by extension, Robert.

Torchwick eyed the doctor with a barely visible hint of suspicion in his eyes, clearly still distrusting of him. Robert couldn't blame him, of course: no reason to trust a man that barely a few hours ago was threatening his daughter, only to change his mind after said daughter had been assaulted by some… _thing_.

Not exactly the best way to make a friend, to say the least.

Torchwick stood up from his chair, walking over with Melodic Cudgel in hand. Robert took special notice that he had specifically put himself between his daughter and the man that he still didn't trust in the slightest (for good reason, of course: it had been barely more than a few hours or so since their rather…tense meeting, after all).

"Dr. Thalon...if you're here for Neo again, then you should just go right back the way you came and leave her be."

There was the barest hint of threat behind his tone, practically daring for the doctor to try something, _anything_ with his daughter to see what happens. A noble gesture, truly it was, but it was also as noble as it was unnecessary.

"Torchwick, I can assure you, I'm not here to do what you think I'm going to do, so you should really just let me do my job here."

Torchwick didn't seem all that re-assured by the response, at least based off the still suspicious look he had in his eyes. Nonetheless, he still backed down ever so slightly, at least enough that Robert was fairly certain that he wouldn't try anything…regrettable.

Wasting no time, Robert set down the small briefcase he had been carrying on the table in the room, opening it to reveal a single empty vial, along with a small needle attached to a tube and various other miscellaneous items associated with drawing blood. All Robert needed was a blood sample from her, nothing more.

Hopefully, Torchwick would allow him at least _that_ much.

Robert turned his gaze to him expectantly, and the man only gave a silent nod in response. Going off the rather tense expression on his face, however, this was likely the only thing he would allow him to do with her. Such suited Robert just fine, in truth.

By this point, Neo had gotten up from the bed, sitting upright over the edge and looking over at the both of them curiously. Torchwick motioned her to come over, and she did so without a word. As she took her seat, there was a slight look of surprise in her eyes when she took notice of what had been laid out on the table in front of her.

As such, she turned to her adoptive father with a questioning look, but at that moment, he was looking Robert dead in the eyes, speaking with only the slightest hint of suspicion laced into his words.

"I'm only going to let you do this once, doctor, then you're going to leave her alone. Also, you _only_ get to do this if she allows it."

Both of them turned their gaze on her, and she took a moment to just stare at the two of them before she nodded her head slightly, no small amount of uncertainty still present in her eyes as she rolled up the sleeve over her right arm and held it out on the table.

Robert, for his part, was grateful for their…well, not quite trust, exactly, but something to that effect as he began his work, taking her arm to feel for the vein, finding it not long after.

Rubbing an alcohol wipe over the area to disinfect it, he then took out the needle from its casing and held it steadily over the vein, looking over to Neo for a moment to see if she was still willing for him to do this. She looked over and nodded, taking a deep breath and bracing for what was to come.

Satisfied, he pushed the needle in, and the blood began feeding in through the tube and into the vial not a moment after it went in.

As he waited for the vial to fill, he looked over at her again, and he saw several things about the way she looked now. He noticed the slightly nervous way she took in her breaths, the way her body had tensed up involuntarily from anxiety, and most importantly, the look of uneasiness in her eyes (both of which had gone almost white in color the moment the needle went in).

This must have been bringing up some rather…unpleasant memories for her, if Robert were to take a guess. He didn't like doing this any more than she did, in all honesty, especially not if it was having such negative effects on her, but it couldn't be helped: he needed a way to see just what Richard had done to her all those years ago, and her own recollections of the experience wouldn't be clear for a while yet.

Besides that, if Robert knew Richard (and he liked to think that he did), then her blood would almost certainly be carrying whatever Dust serums and formulas he had pumped into her during the project, and knowledge like _that_ was invaluable.

The vial had filled up by now, and Robert promptly pulled out the needle, capping it quickly and turning his attention to sealing the puncture site, applying a ball of cotton over it along with a bandage to keep it in place. With that done, Robert took the filled vial and put it back in the briefcase and began cleaning up everything else.

Neo let out an audible sigh of relief now that the experience was over, the previous tension in her body loosening and her eyes going back to their normal pink and brown color. Torchwick took this opportunity to lead her back to the bed, and she seemed rather quick to lay down in it, falling asleep not long after she put her head down.

Finished with clean-up, Robert closed the briefcase and started making his way out of the room, stopping when Torchwick spoke up.

"What are you going to do with that?"

As he said that, he pointed a finger at the briefcase in Robert's hand, or more likely, the contents inside of it. Robert responded simply.

"I'm going to find out what Richard did with her. Is there a problem with that?"

Torchwick shook his head.

"No, but I'm going to ask you to tell me everything you find out from that."

Robert raised an eyebrow at that statement, responding questioningly.

"And why would you want that?"

The look in Roman's eyes darkened, an angered look on his features as he spoke.

"So I can know _exactly_ what I need to punish this 'Richard' character for. No one hurts my daughter and gets away with it. _No one._ "

Well, at least the two of them had an intense hatred for one Richard Fall in common. Robert could respect that, if nothing else.

"I'll be sure to tell you, then. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

With that, Robert made his way out of the room, walking back through the corridors of the facility, his thoughts silent all the way back to the lab where he was going to take a look at the blood sample he had just taken.

Stepping into the room, Robert took a seat down in front of a blood scanner, taking the vial out of the briefcase and placing it in for a thorough analysis. In mere moments, the scan had finished, the results displayed on a terminal screen right next to the scanner. Thus began the most difficult part in all of this: interpreting all the data the scan had collected.

Robert sighed as he began sifting through all the various data points, marking down everything that seemed abnormal, which, in this case, appeared to be virtually _everything_.

Red blood cell counts…white blood cell counts…platelet counts…all wrong in one way or another. Not in dangerous amounts by any means, but just high or low enough to be of note.

' _This can't be right…'_

Going over the data once again to make sure he wasn't making any errors, Robert took a look at the full breakdown of the blood sample, and his eyes widened ever so slightly once he saw what was in her blood (or rather, what Richard had pumped _into_ her blood).

There was Dust of all types coursing throughout her, no doubt about that. Richard had clearly done so for all test subjects of the Ascension Initiative, but Neo, on the other hand, seemed to have something... _different_ injected into her on top of that, and Robert could have sworn he recognized the particular formula of the Dust serum that Richard had used.

' _Can it be…?'_

Robert's eyes widened when he made the connection. There were some slight modifications here and there, but he had no doubt it in his mind that this was the same serum that Richard had developed for himself all those years ago in his bid for immortality. Given the effects the failed serum had on its previous test subject, Robert wasn't very keen on entertaining the possibilities of what it had done to Neo.

At least, for the most part, she seemed to have turned out alright, so he could take a minor comfort in that fact. Still, he had to wonder just how much it could have affected her, and he made a mental note to himself to run further tests on this matter, once time permitted for such.

Saving all the data the scan had collected to his personal storage, he shut down the terminal and scanner, getting up from his seat and promptly leaving the room after he had done so.

As he walked back through the corridors, his thoughts turned to just what these recent findings meant. Richard had clearly been making use of his old serum again, and Robert was almost certain that he had made at least some progress with it in the intervening years.

The question, then, became just how far along he had gotten by the time he tried his latest version of it on Neo, and based off what data the scan had collected, he hadn't made much progress since the last time. On the other hand, _that_ had been nearly twenty years ago, and such provided Richard a rather large time frame to have improved upon his formula again.

Robert shuddered at the idea of it. Neo served as nothing more than a test bed to him, a lab rat that he could test his latest bid for immortality on without a second a thought. Almost subconsciously, Robert's fist clenched in rage at his disgraced protégé's callousness.

Wherever he was hiding, Robert would find that man, and he would put an end to him for good, and this time, he would be _very_ thorough in the effort: no need to give Richard yet another chance to seemingly come back from the dead like last time.

Right now, however, Robert had other matters to attend to, and he'd have to revisit this issue at a later point in time.

He pulled out the files that James had given him earlier from his coat pocket, glancing over them again as he made his way through the corridors.

He had a very… _special_ report to give, after all.

* * *

Raven Branwen

Raven stirred from her sleep…yet as she opened her eyes, she woke up not to her modest home nestled away in the woods, but to an infinite, pitch black void. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but a barren expanse of darkness, light having no hold in this place…

She looked around, trying to gain her bearings, but doing so proved difficult in the absolute emptiness.

' _Where…?'_

Before she could even finish that thought, she heard a voice in the corner of her mind, one that grated against her ears while causing her to feel a gnawing pain against the back of her head. It sounded…cheerful, almost like that of a young child...

' _ **Hiya, Raven! My name's *BZZZZT*. Welcome to your mind! It sure is nice in here…a little moody, though.'**_

A buzzing static sound ringed in her eardrums, loud enough that she had to physically cover her ears for a brief moment before it stopped. Her eyes snapped shut almost involuntarily when she heard the sound, and when she opened them again, she saw a very…odd looking man in front of her, one that wore a completely white outfit, going from the stark white shoes covering his feet to the wide brimmed, white hat covering the top of his head.

Most striking of all, however, was the crooked way his smile grew across his expression, along with the unnaturally joyful look in his eyes. Put together, they created a rather…unsettling image, one that only marginally lost out to some of the things Raven had seen in her service to the Primals.

Wondering just what this… _thing_ (the word "man" seemed to be a stretch of the term, in all honesty) was, she spoke carefully, her words echoing across the empty void of her mind.

"What…what are you…?"

The stranger tilted his head quizzically, a perplexed look on his expression.

' _ **Me? I'm *BZZZZT*, didn't you hear? Daddy sent me here, you know…I think you and him even talked for a bit a little while ago, actually…'**_

He shrugged, an uncaring look on his features.

' _ **Anyways, he wanted me to come here to do…this!'**_

With a quick snap of his fingers, the stranger disappeared without a trace, the empty black void shifting and transforming at the same time, emptiness taking shape in ways that defied any and all logic or reason.

Looking at the rapidly forming environment around her, Raven took particular notice of the fact that the entire thing seemed…familiar, for some reason.

A large, empty clearing, one surrounded by a thick forest of dark oak trees, only a scant few pale rays of moonlight escaping past the canopy of leaves to dimly illuminate the forest below. The occasional rustling in the bushes around her could be heard, a clear sign of the ever continuing hunt for elusive prey by hungry predators. All of it put amidst the backdrop of the midnight sky, just barely visible past the tree line.

Something about it all just felt so _familiar_ to her…

Then she heard footsteps coming from behind her, ones that seemed entirely out of place amidst the dull din of the forest.

Turning to face the rogue sound, her eyes widened not a moment after she saw a very familiar looking figure just past the tree line…

Raven knew _exactly_ where she was now.

The same voice from earlier chimed in, causing a dull buzzing sensation from the back of her mind as she looked squarely at her former team leader.

' _ **Do you remember her, Raven?'**_

He gave her a howling laugh, blissfully joyful, yet clearly filled with thinly veiled cruelty.

' _ **I'm sure she remembers you!'**_

Coming out of the forest, silver eyes focused squarely in front of her and a brilliant white cloak billowing behind her, was Summer Rose.

She could hardly believe her eyes. Summer had been dead and buried for years…Raven had personally seen to that, as much as it pained her to even think of it.

"S-Summer? What-"

Before she could finish, Summer cut in, a look containing a mixture of both sadness and anger in her eyes.

"Raven…don't. Please…just don't. You'll only make this hurt more for both of us."

The familiar words echoed in Raven's mind: that was exactly what Summer said the first time. Summer drew her staff from beneath her cloak, a single, razor sharp blade protruding out from either end, the one at the top pointing forwards and the other backwards. She held it in a practiced combat stance, her hood drawn back so that it gave a full view of her face, framed by her long black hair with red highlights tracing down here and there.

And as if her body had suddenly gained a mind of its own, Raven involuntarily gave the exact same response she gave the first time.

"Summer…don't make me do this…"

The tiny, barely noticeable pleading tone in her voice didn't even come _close_ to reflecting how desperately Raven wanted to avoid fighting – _killing_ \- Summer again. All her hopes were dashed in an instant the moment Summer responded, her silver eyes unwavering. If there was still any doubt in her mind about this, her expression certainly didn't show any of it.

"You know I can't let you keep up with this, Raven."

Raven could barely keep her voice level, absolutely _refusing_ to let this encounter end the same way it did the last time. She couldn't bear to do _that_ again.

"I…I know, but-"

And of course, fate was all too happy to remind her of how little it cared for her wishes as Summer cut her off abruptly.

"No, Raven. Don't lie to me."

Summer had a stern, disappointed look on her expression, and it sent a throbbing pain throughout Raven's chest. To have her old team leader be so thoroughly angered, saddened, and above all, _disappointed_ in her, to see that look in her eyes…it hurt more than any blade, bullet, or claw ever could.

"I'm not! I…I…"

Raven paused mid-sentence, unable to speak.

Why couldn't she find the words? Even if she couldn't do it the last time, that had happened nearly 10 years ago. Surely, after all these long, _long_ years, she had discovered at least _some reason_ for doing this, right?

 _Right?_

Her mouth moved, desperately trying to mutter something, _anything_ , but no sounds came out. Summer shook her head sadly, her eyes betraying nothing but disappointment.

"This isn't the Raven I told Yang about. Yang's mother, her _real_ mother…she's long gone now, isn't she?"

Raven tensed up almost immediately at the mention of her daughter. Yang was everything to her…or at least, that's what she kept telling herself as doubt clouded her thoughts.

Was she really a good mother for leaving her little angel at a time when she needed her most? Even if she had her reasons (she wasn't even sure if they were _good_ reasons anymore), was it truly the right thing to do?

 _Was this what was best for Yang?_

She couldn't come up with an answer, and it terrified her.

Raven stood there, stock still and with an uncertain look in her eyes, clearly visible even behind the mask she wore. Summer sighed, resigned to her task, as much as it pained her to do it.

"If it helps you feel better, Raven…I'm sorry it had to come to this." She paused, adding another statement to that. "And I'll make sure to take good care of Yang for you."

"Summer…" Raven sighed, her hand moving to hover over her sword, resigned to having to face Summer again. She could only hope that it would end better than last time.

It had to.

In the back of her mind, she felt an…unusual numbness, almost as if she was losing control of herself for just the briefest of moments.

' _Almost as if…'_

She quickly pushed that thought aside. No need for distractions at a time like this. Besides, something like _that_ wasn't going to happen…not here, of all places.

Both of them took a deep, shuddering breath to steady themselves; neither of them wanted this, truly, they didn't.

Even so, however, neither of them were going to back down.

Readying her bladed staff, Summer launched herself forwards in an instant, the forward facing blade of her staff aimed directly for Raven's head in order to make this as quick and painless as possible. On pure reflex (at least, Raven _hoped_ it was nothing more than reflex…she didn't even want to _think_ about the alternative), she brought her own blade out of its sheathe and parried the strike, sending Summer back with a rapid follow-up slash.

Not letting up in her assault, she continued on with a series of rapid swings and stabs, all aimed only at Summer's non-vital areas and meant solely to disable her at the very most. However, Summer deflected every attack with ease, proceeding to take advantage of an opening in Raven's guard as she overextended herself while going for another (non-lethal) swing at Summer's midsection.

Just before Raven's blade could make contact, Summer swung her staff to bring the rear facing blade for a slash at Raven's exposed arm. Honed reflexes along with flaring her Aura kept Raven from taking any particularly severe injuries when Summer's blade hit its mark, though she still came out with a minor cut across her forearm by the end of it.

It would only be the first of many, however.

Their battle went on for what felt like hours, both of them taking as many wounds as they were inflicting. The forest clearing they were fighting in had taken a noticeable amount of damage, a number of trees felled as a result of a missed swing from either one of them.

Both of them leaped back, landing on opposite sides just at the edge of the (now expanded) tree line. Both of them were breathing heavily, clearly winded from the prolonged fighting. Taking advantage of this momentary pause, Raven sheathed her sword (though she kept her hand over the hilt, ready to draw it a moment's notice) and took a moment to catch her breath, taking stock of the situation all the while.

Raven, for her part, had several cuts and gashes here and there across her body, an even mixture of both minor and major injuries, though most of the latter were kept relatively sealed by her Aura, which was beginning to run dangerously low, however. She couldn't keep this battle going for long at this rate, and she knew it.

Summer was in much the same condition, a number of noticeable tears in the fabric of her otherwise pristine cloak marking the toll that the battle was taking on her, to say nothing of a rather large cut that went across the length of her back, a result of her being just a second too late to avoid Raven's blade coming at her from behind. Even so, however, the look in her eyes betrayed nothing but solemn determination, her gaze never wavering and her form as flawless as ever.

With but a second's warning, she launched herself forwards again, more than ready to resume her battle with Raven. Drawing her blade in an instant, Raven met the attack head on, and their battled continued once more.

All the while, Raven remained adamant in keeping this from ending in Summer's death like it did the last time, never once going for any lethal attacks, even when the opportunity presented itself. However, amidst the near constant clanging of blade against blade, Raven could feel the same cold numbness she felt from earlier returning, stronger this time, and she dreaded it with all her being.

Her arm moved on its own for a moment, her blade aimed almost perfectly for a devastating (and more than likely lethal) swing against Summer's abdomen. With all the will she could muster, she forced her rogue arm back under her control, just in time to keep the attack from fully connecting, scoring a minor slash instead.

Just a split second later, Raven brought her blade up to parry a strike aimed directly for her head, locking their blades together as they made contact and pushing with all her might to send Summer flying back as far away from her as possible.

Leaping back almost immediately afterwards, she hid in the trees surrounding the area, hoping, _praying_ that it would buy her enough time to regain a measure of control over herself, though she doubted Summer would be fooled for long.

Time running short, Raven clutched her blade tightly in her hand, trying to keep it under her own will. Such did little to help, however…her body was rapidly refusing to obey her commands, gradually acting more and more like it had a mind of its own.

She felt... _wrong_ , like she was well and truly losing all control over herself as a cold numbness washed over her.

The voice chimed in as she felt her body beginning to move for itself.

' _ **Ooh…I didn't know you had one of those on you, Raven…let's have some fun with it, shall we?'**_

With every word he spoke into her mind, Raven could feel herself gradually sink deeper and deeper into the numbness, all control over herself lost as her body sought out its target of its own accord.

Not a moment too soon, actually, as in that short time, Summer had found Raven's hiding spot and was mere milliseconds away from landing what would have likely been a killing blow before her rogue body brought her sword out of its sheathe to block the attack, the two blades locking as they clashed.

Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, and while Summer's still had the same look they always had throughout the battle, Raven's had changed almost completely.

Her eyes were glowing an angry red, clearly visible even behind her mask. Fury was evident in them, any and all traces of hesitation from before gone completely as they glared hatefully at her.

"Raven…?"

Summer noticed the sudden change almost immediately, even in that short moment. As she looked at her former teammate, possessed by a force far beyond comprehension, her eyes had an expression of disbelief in them for just a brief second before being replaced with what looked like cold fury.

She leapt back, her eyes flaring a bright white for just the briefest of moments as she stared down the possessed Branwen with a look that spoke of nothing but pure revulsion.

"You're not Raven…not anymore, anyways…"

The voice laughed cruelly.

' _ **Oh, this is just so much fun! MORE!'**_

Almost like it was answering the sadistic man's demand for more, Raven's body swung her sword, the action causing the red Dust blade to send a wave of fire directly at Summer, who evaded the attack with ease. However, the wave continued to surge forward, striking the surrounding forest and setting it ablaze, a hungry inferno erupting in mere seconds afterwards as it spread all throughout, eager to consume all in its path…

The two of them included.

Even so, neither of them were backing down; both merely standing in the clearing as the forest burned to ash around them, staring each other down.

The look in Summer's eyes spoke only of pure defiance, causing an angered, guttural (and wholly involuntary) growl escaping Raven's mouth as a number of Dust blades flew out of their sheathes, Raven's semblance levitating them into the air as they hovered ponderously, waiting for the moment to strike. The glow in Raven's eyes intensified, a bright crimson aura enveloping her entire body with unending fury.

Summer was undeterred, and her eyes flared a shimmering white as she was enveloped in a brilliant white cloak of pure light. The blades of her double-edged scythe glowed, concentrating the light around them as Summer launched herself forwards with blinding speed, Raven's body doing the same to meet her assault head-on, every floating Dust blade rushing forwards and attacking from all directions.

Raven was left completely helpless, little more than a prisoner within her own body as it fought on like a possessed machine. All she could now was watch, hoping against hope that she could find a way to free herself before it was too late.

' _ **Enjoying the show, Raven? I know I am!'**_

Sadistic glee permeated every word as he watched on along with her, taking his sick pleasure in watching the two of them fight on, the clearing showing little more than a blur of motion as the two of them seemingly fought faster than the eye could see.

A rapid slash, countered with a parry, followed up by a stab, met by a swing…over and over again in an ever dangerous dance of blades. Slowly, but surely, the battle was starting to take its toll, both sides gradually taking more and more wounds, even as they continued to clash relentlessly against each other with all the strength they could muster.

Raven could already tell her body was winning, a machine that would not stop for anything until its foe lay dead at their feet, something that she just _couldn't_ allow. Not again.

 _Never again._

With all the will that she could manage, she sought to wrest control of her body back from whatever unseen force had taken it from her.

' _ **What are you doing, Raven? I thought this was supposed to be fun!'**_

The voice sounded almost annoyed, if its tone was anything to go by. Some part of Raven took satisfaction in paying back the unholy abomination that had tormented her mind so.

It was only a small part, however, the rest of her mind focused squarely on taking her body back, even if only for just the briefest of moments in order to give Summer an opening.

A glimmer of hope flashed in her mind as she felt the barest hint of control over her body returning to her. She kept her arms still as best she could, her floating swords stopping dead in their tracks, frozen in mid-air. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest, all of them practically _demanding_ that she let them free, something she had no intention of doing, no matter how painful the effort was for her to do so.

Summer didn't waste even a moment, seeking to take this opportunity to end the fight with one final, well placed slash of her scythe blade. Just one last clean hit, and this nightmare would be finished…

Raven closed her eyes, taking the barest hint of solace she could amidst the burning pain of arresting her possessed body's movements. A single thought played across her mind as she waited for the end.

' _It's over…'_

Then she heard the voice laughing.

It was a sickening sound that grated harshly against her ears. Something about it just felt… _wrong._ A chill went down Raven's spine as it spoke, tone filled with equal measures of cruelty and amusement.

' _ **Oh, Raven…it's cute and all that you think you're the one in control here, but…'**_

Every word crashed against her ears and sent a white-hot lance of pain directly into her very being, and she could practically _feel_ her mind slipping away with every syllable uttered.

Not a second later, she lost all control, her enraged body free once more and bursting into motion the moment Raven's hold over it shattered.

'… _ **you're not.'**_

Summer had left herself open in her haste, all Raven's blades pointed to the opening in her guard. Meanwhile, Raven's hand went to her sword, eager to finish this fight once and for all…

As futile as it might have seemed, Raven refused to let this happen, hoping with all her being for a miracle to happen.

' _No! I won't! Not again!'_

And yet, she could do nothing but hope, the rest of her body already making its choice.

There would be no miracles today.

' _ **Who ever said you had a choice, Raven? I sure didn't.'**_

In all the span of a second, Raven's sword erupted from its sheathe and slashed, just as all her floating swords surged forwards with murderous intent.

There was a sickening sound of metal piercing flesh in the air, just as Raven could feel something warm splash against her.

' _NO!'_

Another second, and Summer's impaled body sailed past her, tumbling against some empty brush before skidding to a halt and not moving an inch from then on. Her once beautiful white cloak had been stained a dark crimson, the stains on it slowly yet surely expanding as a small pool formed beneath where she laid. All light from before had withered away into nothing, all traces of life leaving her for good.

Raven could only gaze in horror at what she had done.

Or rather, what she done _again._

Some part of her wanted to convince the rest of her that it wasn't her fault this time. This was a dream. The voice had said so. This _had_ to have been its doing. It just had to.

Of course, if was only a small part, a lonely voice of reason lost amidst a sea of pain and anguish.

In that moment, whatever unseen force that saw it fit to play the role of puppeteer of her body must have decided to cut the strings, Raven faintly feeling control over herself returning again. Hopefully for good this time.

Every part of her felt numb, and all she did was sink to her knees, still gazing at the broken remains of her former team leader.

She could barely hear the buzzing static sound in her ear, just like she could barely recognize the world shifting itself around her, her eyes still focused squarely on Summer. The empty void had returned, but she hardly noticed it.

' _ **Well, that was definitely a fun time…right, Raven?'**_

Summer's body quite literally melted away into nothing, a puddle of black tar amidst an endless expanse of nothingness. Not long after, it reformed into something else, the white man from before returning with the most unholy of grins on his face.

He cackled cruelly.

' _ **And here I thought this was going to be boring…'**_

Raven looked up, her mask coming off as dozens of blades flew out of her sheathe, encircling the man in an instant as she gave him a piercing look that spoke of nothing but pure, unending _hatred_.

"Why?"

Just one solitary word had been uttered from her mouth, trembling in barely contained fury, yet it had been laced with nothing but pure venom. If the man had been fazed even in the slightest, he certainly didn't show it.

' _ **Why what, hm?'**_

Rage built inside her, her blood threatening to boil over as Raven teetered on the edge of her breaking point. Her floating blades edged ever closer as her hand hovered over her sword, readied to carve him in two at a moment's notice.

"WHY!?"

She was practically _roaring_ at him, her tone enraged enough to terrify even a Grimm into submission.

And yet, the only response that elicited was a quizzical tilt of his head and a curious look in his empty white eyes. He spoke, confusion evident in his words.

' _ **Daddy told me to have some fun…what's so wrong with that?'**_

Raven couldn't even believe her ears anymore. This…this _thing_ thought to make her relive what was easily the worst experience of her life, then think to call it _fun?_ To wonder what was _wrong_ with that?

Oh, how wrong it was.

Every blade that hovered around him sailed forwards, rocketing into him as they went clean through his body. In an instant, she pulled her sword out and rammed it through whatever might have passed for his heart, her blade hitting its mark dead on.

His body had become more of a pin-cushion now, dozens of Dust blades of various colors impaling him all over, along with Raven's own sword piercing clean through the place where his heart (if he even _had_ one, anyways) would have been.

And yet, all he did was laugh, thoroughly amused.

' _ **Oh, come on…can't we talk about this? Like normal people? That's what Daddy would do…'**_

She forced all her blades further into his body, but such did practically nothing to stop a manic grin from forming across his face. Something seemed… _different_ about it from before, however.

' _ **When will you ever learn, Raven?'**_

Even his voice sounded different now, almost as if someone new was speaking this time.

She didn't have much more than a few seconds to ponder on this thought, however, as his body soon faded away into nothing, her blades that had been impaling it previously now clattering harmlessly to the ground as she held her sword with a look of disbelief in her eyes. Not a moment later, he reappeared in front of her, just as she felt her body refuse to move once again.

He grinned as he loomed over her, hundreds of tiny mouths forming all across his body, each and every one of them mirroring the sadistic smirk that was on his face.

' _ **There we go…that's much better. Now, then…how about we start over? I'm *BZZZZT*. You?'**_

The static returned, blanking the name out in her mind. He chuckled, the mouths that covered him now starting to sink back into his body, and she now noticed that his eyes had taken a pitch black color, a stark contrast to the empty white that used to be there.

Something told her that this wasn't the same man from before.

' _ **Don't answer that…I already know who you are, Raven. Daddy told me to find you. And you were really hard to find…'**_

He shrugged, a nonchalant look in his now black eyes.

' _ **But anyways…here we are. Just you and me, in the middle of your own dream.'**_

He chuckled to himself, a mixture of wry amusement and what seemed to be genuine mirth in it.

' _ **Well, it's really more of a nightmare, if we want to get technical…but that's beside the point.'**_

A shadow crossed his face, and whatever traces of the depraved child from before had clearly departed, and all that was left now was something far more sinister.

' _ **Daddy had a message for you. The…other me wanted to have a bit of fun before we gave it to you, so I let him indulge. Just a little, anyways…he had plenty more planned for you, trust me.'**_

The very thought that she would have to go through something like _that_ again…it sent a deep chill down Raven's spine. Twice was already more than enough for just as many lifetimes. She dreaded the idea of going through more. The man shook his head, sighing.

' _ **In any case…no more beating around the bush. Daddy's probably getting impatient right about now, if he's finished with his business, anyways…'**_

He took a moment to clear his throat (well, that was the assumption; for all she knew, he didn't even have one to clear in the first place).

' _ **Think on your choices, Raven. Maybe you should remind yourself who's making them…it's certainly not you.'**_

His head tilted, a ponderous look in his black eyes.

' _ **Huh. It seemed a lot longer when we were practicing…go figure.'**_

He shrugged, the thought passing by just as quickly as it came.

' _ **Well, anyways…that's all of our business with you wrapped up…for now, anyways.'**_

He started walking off into the empty void, his body slowly yet surely fading away into nothingness. He waved behind himself casually, sparing her one final word before he left.

' _ **Ciao.'**_

And with that, he disappeared entirely, leaving Raven all alone in the emptiness as her body started to listen to her again. She looked around, only to find nothing but nothing in front of her. Some part of her considered walking around for a bit, half expecting, half hoping to find _something_ out there. It wasn't like she had anything else to do, after all.

It lasted only for a short while, however, as she soon found herself back in her bed, her eyes bursting open as her nightmare finally ended.

Pulling herself upright in her bed, she took a quick glance around her modest home, and judging from the faint morning rays of sunlight that were just beginning to peek in through her windows, she had slept through most of the night.

A slight frown played across her features at the thought: her nightmare had lasted only a few hours at most in actuality…yet it felt like it had been ages when she had still been trapped inside with that… _thing_ that liked to play itself off as a man.

Speaking of which…

She kept herself tucked under the covers, her mind focused elsewhere for the moment.

' _Think on your choices, Raven. Maybe you should remind yourself who's making them…it's certainly not you.'_

She felt a slight urge to shudder come across her, almost as if an icy breeze had blown past her, as odd as that sounded. Chalking it up to lingering nerves, she shook her head, trying to clear her mind as she pondered on the message she had been given.

What could that possibly mean?

Everything she had ever done…every choice she had ever made…it was all of her own will.

And she always told herself that all of it was for her vision of a better future.

 _Yang's_ better future.

 _All of it was for her._

She had decided that from the moment her little miracle was born all those years ago.

She spared a glance at the small photo of her beloved daughter that she kept on the nightstand next to her bed. Yang had been only an infant, barely a few minutes old at most when that photo had been taken. Raven held her newborn daughter in her arms, a warm, genuine smile on her face as she looked into those bright iliac eyes that simply stared back with the wonder that only a child could ever truly have. Taiyang stood next to her, similarly looking at his daughter and wife with a beaming smile on his face, joy written everywhere across his features.

A pang of wistfulness struck her as she recalled those happier times. That had been years ago, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't occasionally wonder what it would've been like if she had stayed.

Perhaps things would've been different.

Perhaps she wouldn't find herself here, hidden away in the wilderness while her daughter and husband moved on with their lives without her.

 _Perhaps Summer would still be alive._

She shook her head to dispel those thoughts from her mind, as much as she wanted to divulge in them for just that little bit longer. She couldn't afford to doubt herself, not anymore, anyways. It was too late for that now, and it had been for years.

Still…she couldn't help but feel a small tug at the back of her mind, the pain of the nightmare before still fresh in her memory, the still form of her former team leader flashing in her eyes for the briefest of seconds before she blinked, both to dispel the image from her sight and fight back the urge to let her eyes tear up.

It was just a small tug, barely noticeable at best, yet something about it just simply refused go away, no matter how much she tried otherwise.

Then she heard a knock on her door, snapping her out of her thoughtful trance as she made to pull herself out of the bed. Vaguely, she recalled that Dragan had yet to come back from when he had left several hours ago, and seeing as he hadn't ushered himself into her home last night, she could only assume that this was him right now. Still, she took her sword and kept it close at hand, just in case it wasn't. After all, caution was always a necessity, even in a place as remote as this.

As she made her way over to the door, her mind couldn't help but drift back to all that had lead up to this, as well as if all of it was truly worth it. Doubt had no place on this path she had taken, she would always tell herself that back then, but in light of all that had been happening recently…she wasn't so certain anymore.

Even now, the tug had become ever so slightly stronger in her mind, and something about that sent a cold chill down Raven's spine.

Another set of light tapping against the doorframe. It was just that little bit quicker, just that little bit more forceful, though not terribly so as to suggest any significant impatience.

A small frown forming across her face, Raven pushed any further thought of it away and buried it deep inside herself as she opened the door, a slight sigh coming out of her as she did so.

* * *

James Ironwood

James steered the gunship through the morning skies as he saw Vale approaching off the horizon, the faint outline of the city's skyline becoming more and more defined as he flew closer and closer with every passing second.

He had been in the air for most of the night, though at least he had kept the autopilot active to steer the ship's course for him during the more uneventful portion of the flight. Taking that time he had been given, he spent most of it looking through the scroll Dr. Thalon had provided him.

What he had found on it had been quite…intriguing, to say the least.

Their group had existed for centuries…all of them being just as old. How this was done, it didn't say, and such drew a furrowed brow from the general, his ever inquisitive mind pondering the answers to the questions this had raised.

To think there were ways to cheat death and prolong life like this…well, it certainly raised a number of unsettling possibilities, none of which James wished to delve further into, at least not at the moment. _That_ could be dealt with at a later time…

After all, there was no shortage of other trials that humanity would have to endure in the coming days…everything he had read made it abundantly clear and in no uncertain terms that dark times were already looming over the horizon, things that made people like Cinder look positively _tame_ by comparison just waiting for their chance to strike out against an unsuspecting world.

Of course, it would certainly have helped him if he knew exactly what any of these things _were_ , but all of that had been hidden under the cover of the ever so often used heading of " _Classified_ ". The general had sighed when he saw that, all too familiar with such things as "need-to-know basis" that were practically omnipresent in this shadowed world of intrigue that they all took part in, whether willingly or unwillingly.

Clearly, he didn't need to know. A part of him was frustrated with being kept out of the loop on something as vital as this, another part drawing a parallel with Ozpin had how he done much the same for years with practically everyone he ever met, no single person ever quite seeing the full picture the same way he could.

James himself was no stranger to keeping his own secrets, however, so he couldn't truly fault any of them for wanting to hold their cards close to their chests as they played this little game of schemes and plans. He would be lying if he said that he wouldn't have done the same were he in their positions.

Regardless, it was clear that there was much more going on here than what he had been led to believe… dark days were fast approaching, and no one could quite tell what they would bring, or for that matter, who would remain by the time it was all over.

To think that abominations like the Grimm would be the _least_ of their worries in due time…the thought was chilling, and for very good reason. They were already hard pressed as it was just against scattered hordes of Grimm…if they had to face things even worse than that?

Well, the future certainly didn't look all that bright from where James was standing.

Quite frankly, if James had read all of this not more than a few years ago, he would've immediately written it all off as nothing more than pure fairy tales…the depraved fiction of a rambling madman, not even worthy of attention, let alone acceptance and validation.

Of course, now he knew better than to think that.

Ozpin had opened his eyes to certain truths…and now they could see things that they didn't before. These days, he found himself questioning what he had once accepted as facts, paying more thought than he cared to admit to what he had once dismissed as delusions, never truly knowing what to believe…not anymore, anyways.

Even so, he had no doubt he was being only told a fraction of the full story, and a small part of him couldn't help but recall how Ozpin wasn't all that different, even after he had let James in on the truth behind the maidens and their powers.

A hint of resentment sparked within him at the thought of that.

How could he be expected to face what he didn't understand? Stand firm against a force he couldn't prepare for? Win against what he didn't know?

He needed to _know_ , and yet, more often than not, he would just be left out in the dark, without explanation. Was he just not _important_ enough to know these things?

A frown played across his features, but he didn't feed this dark feeling any further thought. He shook his head, pushing it away and dispelling the distraction from his mind.

Right now, his attention was needed in Vale, which was still recovering from the devastating Grimm invasion (the likes of which hadn't been matched for decades, no less) last night.

As he flew his way into the city proper, the general briefly mused on how he hadn't been stopped or even contacted yet as he approached. An unidentified ship like his flying in should've been noticed by at least _someone_ by now.

He supposed that they must have been spread too thin to spare anyone for what they likely assumed to be a friendly. He couldn't exactly blame them; the situation in the city was likely still in shambles, especially in the outlying districts where the fighting had been at its worst, and they would no doubt have needed everyone they could spare to maintain at least a degree of order, if only just to keep panic from breaking out and attracting yet more Grimm.

A glance over the cockpit's window and into the city below made it quite clear that recovery efforts were already in full swing, rubble being cleared away, wounded being tended to, and the like. Overall, things seemed relatively well in hand, at least for the moment.

Of course, he knew that could all change at the drop of a hat, and he knew even better that it was merely a matter of when, not if. He could only hope that such a time was a far ways off. Almost jokingly, he half expected to hear news of another Grimm horde approaching the city by the time he landed.

He certainly hoped that wasn't actually the case. That would've been just… _cruel_ , to put it mildly.

Only one way to find out, he supposed. He spotted a relatively clear space not far away from the city center, bringing the gunship down and landing not too long after.

Getting out, he made his way into the city center, which was practically alive with a flurry of activity, whether that be from the countless people scurrying about to complete whatever tasks they had been given, the numerous vehicles coming and going out of the plaza as they ferried supplies and sometimes people to and from the area, or just the general din that made it difficult to be heard without shouting, it wouldn't have been a stretch to say that this was most likely where the bulk of the reconstruction efforts were being coordinated.

Several large tents had been erected about the plaza, most of them acting as makeshift infirmaries, others as storage, and others still as general housing for the countless people that had just lost their homes not more than a few hours ago (and he was keenly aware of how more seemed to just continue arriving by either bullhead or other transports, despite how the tents were practically overflowing already).

One particular tent that was close to the center of the plaza, he noticed, didn't have quite as many people going in and out of it, the few that did almost always being people directly involved with the recovery effort (typically medics, aid workers, and the sort), and they would more often than not come back out with no shortage of new orders that they quickly relayed to the others to be carried out with all due haste.

That was most likely where everything was being directed from, and he wasted no time in making his way inside.

Upon entering, he almost immediately took notice of how obviously overwhelmed everyone inside seemed to look, frantically darting about and around their makeshift desks (in reality, just about any somewhat flat surfaces they could find), all of which were overflowing with half read reports and hastily written orders. The sound of ringing scrolls and shouting could always be heard, not a single moment of quiet being permitted to exist. Needless to say, everyone seemed quite…tense, to put it lightly.

And at the center of it all was Glynda, ever the picture of serene calm, even amidst this sea of confusion and chaos. Her bright emerald eyes were as focused as ever, and every word she spoke was obeyed to the letter. Currently, she was speaking into a scroll, probably talking to a subordinate elsewhere in the city. In her other hand was the scroll tablet that never seemed to be far away from her, her eyes scanning over what looked to be a map of the city, several areas marked in a distinctive red.

"I need more teams in the outer districts, where most of the fighting was. Relocate the teams at the inner sections of the city; they'll be more useful elsewhere. I need this done immediately."

She spoke calmly, yet firmly, and her tone left no room for argument, only obedience, something which the other person on the line seemed more than willing to provide, seeing as she hung up on the scroll after just a moment's delay.

Before she could turn to whichever new task demanded her attention, her eyes fell on the general, widening ever so slightly in shock.

"James? Where-"

James cut in before she could finish.

"Glynda, what's the current situation in the city?"

There was a look in her eyes, one that made it seem like she wanted to protest, to know just what happened to him last night after his ship was sent to the deep. Fair enough, he supposed, though they would have time to catch up later.

Thankfully, it was only a short moment before the look left her eyes, and she answered calmly.

"Well, to start, the Grimm have been driven off, for the most part, but they've left more than enough damage behind. Damage that we have to address immediately, before they regroup and take advantage of the city's weakened defenses."

A few taps on her scroll tablet, and the map of Vale on the screen showed various areas highlighted in a number of varying colors, most likely based off the extent of damages done. She motioned for James to take a look, the general complying as he made his way beside her to look over her shoulder.

"I have teams spread throughout the city, all of them tending to the injured, clearing out any rubble, repairing what they can, and the like. I've focused most of them on the outer districts, seeing as those areas saw the worst of the fighting. Still, even with a rather…generous amount of volunteers, we're spread far too thin."

She frowned slightly, obviously none too pleased with the situation. The general's expression mirrored her own, his mind already made well aware of how short on manpower they were for these efforts. They would just have to make do with what they had as best they could and hope for the best, he supposed.

"Where's Ozpin?"

James would need to see him. If not because of what had happened last night at the fatal match that had started all of this, then at least so they could work together on the rebuilding of the city. Maybe he could make amends in the process. Just maybe.

Then he noticed the rather…uncertain look in Glynda's eyes, though she tried averting her gaze.

"I'm…not sure. No one's seen him since last night. Not since when the attack first started."

That certainly didn't sound like Beacon's headmaster. He could be somewhat evasive in speaking, but he wasn't that way in presence. Not usually, anyways.

"Where was he last seen?"

"He was headed towards the academy's basement when I last saw him, but I already had Qrow search there from top to bottom, and he didn't find anything."

James frowned, not quite sure what to make of this. If Ozpin had just suddenly vanished…it wasn't exactly a comforting thought.

"I can't spare anyone to look for him right now, and I won't be able to for some time yet…"

Letting out a sigh, a tired look crossed Glynda's expression, exhaustion finally starting to take its toll on her. The general could already tell she was feeling the weight of the world on her, but it was only now that she was finally letting her weariness show. James gave her a sympathetic smile.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?"

Glynda looked him in the eyes, and that was all he needed to know the answer. She could hide many things about how she was feeling from him, but her eyes were always the one place where he could see everything for what it really was.

"Of course I am…that's what a friend does when they go missing, don't they?"

There was something in the way her voice shook for just the briefest of moments…a weakness, almost, one that he felt just didn't belong there. Not for a woman like Glynda.

James put a comforting hand to the shoulder, and she just barely tensed up at the touch before relaxing.

"He'll be fine. We both know Oz can take care of himself. Right now, we have more important matters to attend to."

He motioned all around them, indicating the much more pressing issues at hand that they had to face, Ozpin or no. Moreover, he wouldn't want them distracting themselves with his safety over that of the city.

James saw the hint of worry in Glynda's eyes disappear, replaced by a renewed resolve, one that brought a small smile to the general's face. A smile of her own crossed her expression, sounding far more like her normal self again.

"I know he'll be fine…he's far too stubborn for his own good."

He chuckled lightly, agreeing wholeheartedly with the remark.

"That he is…"

She responded with a lighthearted chuckle of her own, shaking her head a little before the moment passed, their short moment together starting to reach its end as the reality around them settled back in.

"Well, James, this has been a wonderful little break, but I believe it's time we went back to work. I'm sure you're more than willing to lend a hand, yes?"

He nodded, already taking a look at what could be done to make their efforts run smoother, eyes parsing over the reports and maps that had been laid out across Glynda's desk in the center of the tent. She took out her scroll and made a call, stepping off to the side for a bit to give the general a few moments to gain his bearings on what he was reading.

Not very long after, he then he picked up on a very familiar scent of alcohol in the air.

" _Ahem."_

Turning to where the voice had come from, James looked up to see Qrow, standing just a few steps away from the entrance to the tent, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Hey, Jimmy. Where have you been?"

Well, at least he's willing to talk, James supposed. He could never be too sure what a man like Qrow was thinking, especially not if there was still any lingering hostilities from before.

"Qrow. What are you doing here?"

He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just looking around for some answers…"

His red eyes narrowed, not quite suspiciously, but most definitely with something more than simple curiosity.

"…like what you've been doing all night. Especially since your ship's a couple thousand feet under by now."

The general sighed, motioning for Qrow to follow him outside the tent, vaguely spotting Glynda retaking a spot behind her desk out of the corner of his eye as the two of them left. Stopping just outside, Qrow spoke up.

"Alright, Jimmy…now that we've got a little more privacy…you ready to do some explaining? Because that would be just-"

"Get to the point, Qrow."

A hard look crossed the veteran huntsman's red eyes, narrowing in suspicion for just the briefest of moments before Qrow sighed.

"Alright, alright…"

He took a quick sip of his hip flask, then he spoke in a mostly calm, if somewhat measured tone.

"Your fleet gets blown to hell, you disappear for the whole night, but here you are, like nothing happened. Flying in on an unmarked gunship, actually…you seeing the jumps in logic that I'm seeing, Jimmy?"

Upon reflection, there did seem to be a few rather significant holes in that story. James nodded his head, causing Qrow to chuckle as he took another swig.

"Well, then…I'm sure you'd just _love_ to fill in some of the gaps for me, wouldn't you?"

The general nodded, conceding the point that a few explanations were probably in order. Maybe not the whole truth, not yet, but at least a few partial truths to keep him placated.

"To start, I can't remember very much of what happened after the crash, and I don't know how long it was before I woke up. However…"

That much was true, a least. Qrow raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Yeah? Go on."

"…however, when I did wake up, I was inside a prison of some kind."

Also mostly true. Mostly, anyways.

Despite the gracious hospitality that he was offered by the two doctors, he was still very much trapped inside the room, and he most likely wouldn't have made it out if they didn't want him to.

Qrow frowned, crossing his arms.

"And I'm going to assume you took care of it, seeing as you're right here?"

The general nodded, slowly and carefully so as not to give any wrong impressions.

"You could say that..."

In a fashion, he supposed.

"And the gunship you found fits in…where, exactly?"

Well, it was a stretch, but…

"They already had several prepared for take-off. I took one of them and flew back."

Qrow narrowed his eyes. For a moment, James almost thought he didn't believe him, and he wouldn't have been surprised if that were the case, to be frank.

"This is after you 'took care' of these guys, so that's not going to be a problem down the line for us, is it?"

James shook his head.

"No. They won't be."

' _Not for us, at least'_ , he thought. He could tell that they had for more power and influence than they let on, and he preferred that they turn it against other targets, _not_ on them.

Qrow gave the general one last look, which was as unreadable as ever. James couldn't quite tell if his story was believed or not, but judging from the way Qrow sighed and took a sip from his hip flask, he could at least tell that he was willing to drop the subject for the moment.

That suited the general just fine, as he had a question of his own to ask, anyways.

"Glynda told me she sent you to look for Ozpin. What did you find?"

Qrow shook his head, a shadow crossing his features.

"Nothing…it's like Oz just up and disappeared. Couldn't find Amber, either, even under the little safe room we kept in the last chamber. All that was left was some ashes. I'm sure you can guess what that means."

James understood all too well, and he didn't like what it meant.

"Cinder…"

He muttered under his breath, but Qrow heard it just fine. He nodded his head gravely.

"Looks like our worst case scenario's already happened…and right now, we have no idea where she is," His expression became deathly serious, "or where she could strike next."

The general didn't like to entertain the thought that Cinder was potentially at large, waiting for a new opportunity to strike. Even if he knew that something worse than her would come in due time, a threat was still a threat, no matter how comparatively small or large. He sighed, contemplating how he'd have to respond to this while still keeping his secrets intact. He spoke in a measured, cautious tone.

"We'll have to keep our eyes out for her and her associates. Until then, our focus will have to be on rebuilding Vale."

Qrow nodded in agreement.

"Yeah…I'll try to keep my ear to the ground and see if I can hear anything. 'Till then, though…things are going to be a bit dicey…"

He shrugged, taking another sip of his flask.

"But anyways…I've got clean-up duty to take care of…"

He chuckled, an amused grin cracking across his expression. He waved behind him as he started to walk off.

"See you 'round, Jimmy. I'll keep in touch…"

And with that, he left, disappearing amidst the crowds gathered in the city center, probably to take care of other business (no doubt Glynda had given him something to do elsewhere in the city).

In any case, they both had their own jobs to do, and the general wasn't one to tarry for long. Sparing one final glance around the central plaza, he then made his way back into the tent and set to work on rebuilding the city.

* * *

Alerak, the Hallowed Defiler

Alerak had busied himself throughout the night searching for their fellow primal, his vision switching between all his Nevermores that were scouring the surface of Remnant, only to find nothing. Something about it proved quite…perplexing.

Borr was never one for subtlety, not at all. Alerak doubted that the impetuous fool even had the slightest idea what the term even meant, and yet, someway, somehow, he had managed to avoid Alerak's notice, at least for the moment.

Unless the untold millennia of slumber had well and truly changed him into a complete opposite of his normal self, he doubted that Borr was doing this on his own. The question, then, was _who_?

The still fresh news of Kazok's return rang in Alerak's ever calculating mind, and he pondered the possibility of the ram primal's involvement in all of this.

It certainly wouldn't be out of the question: nothing could ever truly be ruled out when Kazok was involved, but this certainly didn't bear any of his usual trademarks…

Perhaps, for once, the Wicked Tongue had nothing to do with it. There was always a first time for everything.

He could only hope that it was true: Kazok was _not_ something to be trifled with, no matter how friendly and harmless he liked to portray himself as.

Of course, if he didn't have any involvement here, that drew him back to the question of how Borr could possibly have hidden himself for this long.

Another primal, perhaps? They were not the only ones awake now, by any means, and in a world as unfamiliar as this one, even creatures as mighty as the Primal Grimm were better off fighting _with_ each other rather than _against_ each other. Well, that's what Alerak believed, at least.

He continued his search, yet his mind drifted elsewhere. Even after all these years since his awakening, he still found himself contemplating the primals' place in this strange new world that thought to defy them…

There was no such thing as a Grimm that valued weakness. Any that said otherwise were sadly mistaken.

The Grimm wars of old had paid tribute to that fact quite clearly…peace had no place in a world of bloody evolution. Hundreds of primals, all vying for their place in a world that cared little for the petty squabbles of the ones that lived on it. Alliances of convenience, bargains of power, opportunistic betrayals…all of it and more were the tools of the day, weapons as dangerous as any claw or talon, ones that all of them used to assert their power.

To a Grimm, there was no such thing as unity…only utter dominance. Strength was the only true rule that all of them obeyed. All else was secondary, distractions at best, complete wastes of time at worst.

Old hatreds died hard, and some never died at all.

At least, that's what it was like in the old times. Now, on the other hand…well. That was a much different story.

Time had moved on, and they had slept all of those millennia away.

Times had changed, and the Grimm would have to change with them.

They would change, or they would face the same fate as An'Trok. Of that, Alerak was certain.

If only he could make them see that...perhaps Kazok, raving madman he was, had been on to something all those years ago, and as much as Alerak was loathe to even entertain the thought of it, he had no illusions about the primals' place in the world of Remnant.

Their rule had been unquestioned, unchallenged for the longest of times…yet now, they found themselves in a world that could fight back, and if An'Trok's recent untimely demise was anything to go by…it could _win._

Such a thought left the Hallowed Defiler's cautious mind in an uneasy silence. He thought of how they would rectify this, how they would remind the world of the might of the Grimm…and every time, his thoughts would inevitably circle back to something unheard of in all of the Grimm's long, bloody history of war and betrayals…unification.

And every time, he always asked the same question, but his answer was never the same.

 _Could it be done?_

Once upon a time, he would've shouted "never" without a second thought, deeming it to be mere delusional fantasies and nothing more…he had changed so much since then. Perhaps the long years of sleep had changed him more than he cared to admit.

He had woken up to find the world he once knew gone…he knew that things would never be the same the moment he first laid his eyes on all the humans had built in their absence. Entire _kingdoms_ of them, left to roam free as they pleased, only barely checked by the scattered, mindless hordes of Grimm that remained?

Such a thing would never have been _dreamed_ of, let alone seen in the world that Alerak knew. The world that all of them knew. A new, unfamiliar world had come in and taken its place…and they would have to change in turn. There was no other way.

They couldn't waste their time on their petty squabbles any longer. The Grimm were a shadow of what they once were, and it would take _all_ of them to change that. And if some of them didn't see it that way?

Then Alerak would open their eyes.

He would _make_ them see the truth.

He would _drag_ them to their promised glory, kicking and screaming, if he had to.

He would remind _all_ of Remnant why the Grimm had earned their right to rule, and _nothing_ would stop him from doing this.

He wouldn't allow it.

But that would be in the future…and there would be much planning to do before it would all come together into fruition. Until then, he would watch and wait, biding his time, as he always did. Humanity could enjoy its place on Remnant, for now…it wouldn't last much longer, anyways.

Turning his attention away from the far future, he returned his focus to the task at hand.

Borr had been quite elusive, but little could hide from Alerak's gaze for long. His vision went across all his Nevermores, searching for any signs of the missing primal.

It wasn't long before he found something of interest.

A Nevermore in the lower parts of the northern continent had spotted a burning village in the mountains, the raging fires clear as day against the snowy peaks.

The flames were fresh, still hungry as they consumed everything in their path. Grimm were swarming the area, though they were merely feral strays that had been attracted by the panic of the villagers, all of whom were scrambling away in all directions, the chaos and confusion only drawing more Grimm to their locations.

Alerak paid them no further mind, already knowing their inevitable fates. Prey surrounded by predators had very short lives.

He possessed the Nevermore that had been showing all of this to him, using its body to fly in for a closer look. As he approached, he could feel… _something._ He couldn't quite describe the feeling, but it was more than enough to let him know that there was something more going on here.

Circling the area, he did what he could to pinpoint just where the unusual feeling was coming from, flying over towards that direction once he did so.

As he approached, the feeling started to become clearer, more defined, and it wasn't very long before he recognized it for what it was…

It seemed that Borr was nearby.

He didn't need to look any further, now that he knew the primal was in the area. All he needed to do now was to reach out with his mind, assuming Borr was willing to listen, anyways. He was rather… _temperamental_ , to say the least.

" _ **Borr…I know you're here."**_

Alerak waited for a few moments, circling overhead as he awaited a response, only to hear nothing. Somewhat irritably, he spoke again.

" _ **We have a request of you, Borr. Answer our call."**_

His call for a response was met with only more silence. Alerak was an ever patient Grimm, but even he knew when his time was being wasted, and he rarely appreciated it.

" _ **Speak. That is no longer a request, but a demand."**_

Silence.

Alerak sighed exasperatedly; it seemed Borr was in no talking mood…not yet, anyways.

He could change that quite easily, in that case.

" _ **I'm certain you remember An'Trok, don't you?"**_

The Great Carrion had always had a somewhat…checkered history with Borr, allies at times, enemies at others. It was difficult to tell where the two stood with each other, at times…and Alerak was certain it would at least get a rise out of him.

"… _ **what about him, Alerak?"**_

There it was. Now they were getting somewhere. He just needed a few more words, and that would be it.

" _ **He's dead, Borr."**_

There was a long silence, almost as if Borr was well and truly stunned by the news. Or perhaps he was carefully choosing his next words. It was difficult to tell, and the unnaturally calm edge to his tone when he _did_ respond didn't make it any easier.

"… _ **who?"**_

A question. Simple enough to answer.

And if Alerak was reading the intentions behind it correctly, it was even simpler to make it work for their plans.

" _ **The humans."**_

A lie, in truth…something _far_ worse than the humans had laid the Great Carrion to rest, but Borr had no need to know that.

There was a scoff, almost like he was in outright disbelief that the humans could possibly put a primal down, even now.

" _ **You lie, Alerak…An'Trok was many things, but he was never one to allow weaklings such as the humans to get the best of him."**_

Alerak chuckled quietly to himself. Borr could believe what he wished…it didn't matter so long as he did what they wanted.

" _ **Believe what you will…it doesn't change what happened. He is gone, and his death leaves a void that must be filled. And that, Borr, is where you come in."**_

The primal growled, the scowl evident on his expression, even if they were only communicating telepathically.

" _ **Another of your schemes, I'm sure…just what do you have in mind?"**_

Alerak grinned darkly, not that Borr would see it, though.

" _ **Revenge, of course…"**_

He spoke in a tone that conveyed both subtle manipulation and genuine conviction; as much as he knew he was only using An'Trok's passing as a motivator to coax Borr into their plan…a part of him still saw the Great Carrion's demise as an affront to the Grimm as a whole, and he was loathe to let it go unanswered…

" _ **Enough! Get to the point, Alerak, or this conversation is over!"**_

Defiance…how droll. At least Borr had grown something resembling a backbone after all these years, if nothing else. He used to be much more…submissive when faced with his elders.

" _ **Of course, of course…all I ask is that you make your way to us, and we can discuss the matter further…"**_

Borr took another long moment's pause, clearly putting some serious thought into this offer.

" _ **Just think…An'Trok would be most disappointed if his murderers were left unpunished…"**_

Alerak left just the barest hint of disappointment in his tone, emphasizing the point that he knew would get a rise out Borr.

" _ **Do not utter his name again, Alerak! I will come…but not for his sake."**_

And there it was…played like a fiddle.

All too easy.

" _ **As you wish, Borr…you know where to find us."**_

The primal grunted in minor annoyance, likely recalling old memories of the days past.

" _ **Hmph. The usual location, I assume?"**_

They kept several arranged meeting places around Remnant…most of them still quite far removed from any prying eyes. There was a perfect one just along the northern coasts of the central continent of Remnant…right where Borr would come if he were crossing in from the north.

" _ **The same…I'm certain you remember Kordor, correct?"**_

Alerak knew full well the question would bring up some rather…unpleasant memories from the Grimm wars of old. The wolf primal was rarely one to spare any of his victims, and Borr was one of the unlucky few to have routinely faced him and lived…mostly because the old wolf couldn't be bothered to finish the job.

" _ **Of course I remember the old wolf…does he still bark at the moon during midnight?"**_

Well, at least he hid his fear well, though Alerak could still hear faint traces of it in his tone. It seemed even after all these years, some things just never changed…

" _ **I believe he prefers to call it howling…"**_

Borr scoffed at that, clearly not amused.

" _ **Bah. He can call it whatever he wishes. I'll be seeing him soon, anyways."**_

Very soon…that would certainly be an interesting thing to watch. It would also give the old wolf something moderately exciting to do as well, so what wasn't there to be gained from this?

" _ **That you will…don't keep us waiting."**_

Borr's tone sounded almost dismissive as he spoke, practically dripping with an arrogance that hadn't been there before.

" _ **I'll try to be punctual, then…"**_

And with that, he could feel Borr's mind closing off, evidently no longer interested in their conversation.

To his credit, the fool had at least learned to maintain a degree of calm…his younger self was far more impetuous. Even so, all that really meant was that what was once a reckless idiot had merely turned into an arrogant idiot. Of course, that served Alerak's purposes just fine…

All he needed was a pawn to manipulate…and Borr was one of the best, in that regard. Far too much for his own good, for that matter.

In any case, they had their pawn now…all they needed to do with him was point him in the right direction, and let the sparks fly.

All in due time, of course. A few days, perhaps, depending on how quickly Borr planned on moving.

Alerak would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't feeling even the smallest bit of anticipation for what was to come…

The beginnings of a wicked grin grew on his expression, hidden beneath the veil of shadows that blanketed his body.

He just loved it when a plan came together.

* * *

AN: Well, things certainly happened…good things, bad things, and everything in between. Let's recap it, shall we?

Let's start with the scenes featuring our two favorite doctors. Their purpose was to put a bit of expansion on the characters of James (Raau) and Robert. The main point I try to emphasize here is that both of them have their own respective motivations that are distinct from one another. After all, it'd be quite a problem if they ultimately boiled down to the same character motivations, except with different names. Aside from characterization purposes, their scenes also served as backstory expansion, expounding a little on the stories of several of our characters beyond what happens to them in this story, with particular emphasis on Richard, Mercury, Emerald, and Neo.

Going on to Salem and Richard…the scene similarly expands on their characters, while still driving the plot forwards in its own way. One thing I like to focus on in this fic is the numerous schemes and plans (from both the villains and heroes) that work their influence in the story, sometimes even running against each other, something that can be seen in Salem having Richard bringing in some more Atlesian reinforcements for Vale, knowing that Alerak wasn't going to leave the city untouched in its vulnerable state. All of this while they are ostensibly still allies, if only ones of convenience. No honor among thieves, you could say. Even if the 'thieves' part really doesn't apply here.

Moving on to Raven's scene, some points I wish to emphasize:

In regard to Summer's weapon, I spent the better part of an hour figuring out what I wanted for her, to be honest. Ultimately, I thought about how to parallel her with her daughter (biological, as in Ruby), and that led to the idea of what was effectively a double bladed scythe (for reference on the general look of it, think the double bladed scythes used by Dark Templars from Starcraft 2), which stands in direct comparison to Crescent Rose, yet still distinguishes itself in its own way. That may or may not be good reasoning, but it's my reasoning, and I'm sticking with it, for better or for worse.

As for John, we got to see a very interesting side of him that not too many are people get to see. We're all more than used to the child-like John by now, but this is where we start to see the child exterior crack away, revealing a much more sinister being. As for which side of John is his true self and which is just a mask he wears, well…I think I'll leave that up in the air, at least for the moment. One fun little thought I'll leave you all to toy with, however…if this was some of the nastier things that John can do, how much worse can his Daddy be?

Overall, the real purpose of the scene was to expand on Raven's character, especially in regards to the internal conflict that will play a key role in how she acts in this story. After all, she is technically working for the _Grimm_ , and while she's convinced the councils really do need to go down, there's still that seed of doubt that occasionally sprouts itself in her mind.

Next up is James' (Ironwood) scene. The primary purpose of that is to show how bogged down the situation in Vale really is. There's no shortage of rebuilding to do, and time most definitely isn't on their side, not with the beginnings of another invasion already coming into play. They could be getting more help in due time, though…just like Qrow said, things are going to be a bit dicey for awhile.

Last up is Alerak and Borr…even more schemes and plans. And character building, of course. You can't miss that, right? Alerak, at his core, boils down to a Grimm that wants all Grimm to rule the world of Remnant, and is more than willing to use any methods he deems necessary to reach that goal…including using his fellow Grimm, just like how he is now manipulating Borr into attacking Vale. Speaking of Borr, he's a far cry from what he was back during the time period I refer to as the Grimm wars…clearly, the years he had spent sleeping had a few effects on how he turned out once he woke up. But the real question, of course, is who was hiding him from Alerak throughout the night? Good question, and I'll just have to let you guys ponder the answer for a little while…it'll be a fun time. I think.

But anyhow, that's chapter 16 in a nutshell. Again, sorry for the almost 6 month wait. I'll try, and I emphasize _try_ to get chapter 17 out before RWBY Volume 4 comes out (also, yay for volume 4). It's not a promise, but I'll definitely try my hardest to keep it.

Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you guys enjoyed it. If you are so inclined, please don't hesitate to leave a review stating what you thought or to send any questions you may have my way. Thanks again, and stay safe.


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